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Wallace rushed into Irish midfield

Ireland replacement centre Paddy Wallace has been rushed straight into the starting line-up in one of three changes for Saturday's Test against the All Blacks.

He becomes captain Brian O'Driscoll's third midfield partner in as many matches as Ireland make their last attempt on this tour to beat the All Blacks for the first time in 107 years of trying.

From being walloped 42-10 in the first Test, a vastly improved Ireland side suffered an agonising 22-19 defeat in the second, and lock Dan Tuohy said there was no shortage of motivation for the third and final clash.

"You don't want to sign off the season coming off the back of three defeats so we're desperate to right the wrongs of the last two weeks. It would be great to get that elusive win against the All Blacks," he said.

Tuohy will again partner Donnacha Ryan in the middle row of a settled pack featuring only one change to the unit that had the edge on the All Blacks in Christchurch last week.

Peter O'Mahony, who came off the bench during the second Test, will start in the backrow where Jamie Heaslip has been ruled out because of a broken finger.

Inside centre Wallace was called into the side after Gordon D'Arcy returned home injured following the second Test.

Keith Earls, who started the first match in the No.12 jersey, has recovered from the chest injury he suffered in that game and has been selected on the left wing in place of Andrew Trimble.

Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Fergus McFadden, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 12 Paddy Wallace, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Peter O'Mahony, 7 Sean O'Brien, 6 Kevin McLaughlin, 5 Donnacha Ryan, 4 Dan Tuohy, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best, 1 Cian Healy.

Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Declan Fitzpatrick, 18 Donncha O'Callaghan, 19 Chris Henry, 20 Eoin Reddan, 21 Ronan O'Gara, 22 Andrew Trimble.

Date: Saturday, June 23

Venue: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

Kick-off: 19.35 (07.35 GMT)

Referee: Romain Poite (France)

Assistant referees: Pascal Gauzere (France), James Leckie (Australia)

TMO: Matt Goddard (Australia)

AFP

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