With no previous form this season to go by, the relative well being of the sides can only be gauged by recent Heineken Cup action in which case the Wolfhounds go into this game with greater momentum.

Eleven Saxons saw their European odyssey end last weekend whereas Eric Elwood's starting XV include eleven who cemented a place in the quarter finals and the other four, Connacht's Gavin Duffy, Brett Wilkinson, Mike McCarthy and John Muldoon, ended the hopes of Conor O'Shea's all-singing, all-dancing Harlequins.

Ian Keatley was on the bench last year and he starts today while try scorer Denis Hurley started on the wing last year and his contribution will come off the bench this time around.

Ireland Wolfhounds: G Duffy; D Kearney, E O'Malley, N Spence, S Zebo; Ian Keatley, I Boss; B Wilkinson, D Varley, S Archer; D Tuohy, M McCarthy; J Muldoon, C Henry (capt), R Ruddock. Replacements: M Sherry, R Loughney, D Toner, K McLaughlin, T O'Leary, I Madigan, D Hurley.

England Saxons: D Armitage; U Monye, M Hopper, B Twelvetrees, M Banahan; F Burns, B Spencer; M Mullan (Worcester), J Gray, P Doran-Jones, M Garvey, G Robson, J Gaskell (capt), A Saull, T Waldrom. Replacements: C Brooker, R Harden, K Myall, T Johnson, P Hodgson, R Lamb, J May.