Kidney names Paddy Wallace to face France

Declan Kidney has announced his first team for the 2009 Six Nations campaign in Limerick today.

Kidney has included Ulster's Paddy Wallace in the centre alongside captain Brian O'Driscoll, with Tommy Bowe and Luke Fitzgerald on the wings and Rob Kearney at full back.

Keith Earls is injured but is hoping to be in the squad for Ireland's next game.

Ireland team to play France in the RBS 6 Nations at Croke Park on Saturday February 7, kick-off 5pm:

R Kearney (Leinster); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O’Driscoll (Leinster, captain), P Wallace (Ulster), L Fitzgerald (Leinster); R O’Gara (Munster), T O’Leary (Munster); M Horan (Munster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster), D O’Callaghan (Munster), P O’Connell (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster).

Replacements: R Best (Ulster), T Court (Ulster), M O’Kelly (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), P Stringer (Munster), G D’Arcy (Leinster), G Murphy (Leicester).

Breakingnews.ie reporter, Shaun Cronin, was at the press conference and interviewed captain Brian O'Driscoll, Paddy Wallace, Luke Fitzgerald and Marcus Horan. You can hear these interviews on our audio service.