Pumas up against two Irish debutants
Flanker Shane Jennings and wing Rob Kearney will win their first caps for Ireland as coach Eddie O’Sullivan has named the two debutants in his side for the second test against Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
Overall there are 12 changes, which includes one positional switch, to the side that started last weekend. Geordan Murphy moves from the bench to start at full-back.
Barry Murphy also comes into the starting side to partner Gavin Duffy who will play at inside centre. Paddy Wallace is ruled out due to the knee injury he picked up last week, so the newly arrived Jeremy Staunton goes straight into the fly-half position. He will be partnered at scrum-half by Eoin Reddan, who makes his first start for Ireland.
In the forwards, Frankie Sheahan replaces Jerry Flannery at hooker. The entire back five of the pack has been changed, with Leo Cullen and Mick O’Driscoll in the second row.
Alan Quinlan and Stephen Ferris, who starts at number eight for his third cap, will join new cap Jennings in the backrow.
Jennings makes his long overdue international debut after a superb season with Leicester Tigers and having captained the Ireland A side in last season’s Churchill Cup campaign.
“I think a lot of the players last week stood up and put their cases forward for World Cup selection,” said O’Sullivan.
“This week’s team has the same opportunity to do that in another pressurised environment.”
Ireland: 15 Geordan Murphy, 14 Brian Carney, 13 Barry Murphy, 12 Gavin Duffy, 11 Rob Kearney, 10 Jeremy Staunton, 9 Eoin Reddan 8 Stephen Ferris, 7 Shane Jennings, 6 Alan Quinlan, 5 Mick O’Driscoll, 4 Leo Cullen, 3 Simon Best (c), 2 Frankie Sheahan, 1 Bryan Young
Replacements: 16 Bernard Jackman, 17 Tony Buckley, 18 Malcolm O’Kelly, 19 Neil Best, 20 Isaac Boss, 21 Kieran Lewis, 22 Luke Fitzgerald
Date: Saturday 2 June
Kick-off: 16:10 (19:10 GMT)
Venue: Jose Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires
Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand), Phillip Bosch (South Africa)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
