O’Sullivan gives new names a chance in friendly

Eddie O’Sullivan has rung the changes in his selection for the practice game tomorrow against Bayonne in the South of France.

Wed, 15 Aug, 2007 - 15:01

Eddie O’Sullivan has rung the changes in his selection for the practice game tomorrow against Bayonne in the South of France.

He has made 12 changes to the starting team, with only captain Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell and Neil Best retaining their places.

In the backs, O’Driscoll is joined by Girvan Dempsey, Andrew Trimble, Gordon D’Arcy, Denis Hickie, Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer.

Marcus Horan, Rory Best and John Hayes come into the front row, with Donncha O’Callaghan, Simon Easterby and Denis Leamy completing the forwards.

Commenting on the selection, Eddie O’Sullivan said: “The other players in the squad need game time and this match gives us that opportunity. You cannot replicate the same levels of intensity and physicality in training as you can in a match, so Thursday night will be vital for their preparation. This will be a full on match and will give the team the levels of contact we need.

“The new faces in the team have really been chomping at the bit to get a game and it will be a step up for them as they come out of their preseason, but it is something that they need.”

Hooker Rory Best said: “It’s been a good week, after being named in the World Cup squad and now getting the chance to move up and play my first game. We have moved on from all our fitness work in the preseason and the last couple of weeks have seen us sharpen up on our ball skills and team patterns. I know that I need to put all of that together on the park, so Thursday night should be a tough game and allow us to get that important first match under our belts.

“The training here (Capbreton) has been great and I think we have all raised the bar another level. The guys who did not play last week are also eager to get a game, so we are looking forward to it”.

The Ireland team held their Captains run session this morning and all came through the session with out any injury. David Wallace (ankle) and Simon Best (back spasm) took part in a rehab session as they recover from their injuries. The Ireland team will be playing in blue jerseys on Thursday night when they play Bayonne as this is not a full representative game.

The Ireland selection to play Bayonne in the the Stade is as follows:

Player

15 - Girvan Dempsey

14 - Andrew Trimble

13 - Brian O’Driscoll Captain

12 - Gordon D’Arcy

11 - Denis Hickie

10 - Ronan O’Gara

9 - Peter Stringer

1 - Marcus Horan

2 - Rory Best

3 - John Hayes