Murray To Start For Ireland

Conor Murray has been named in the starting line up for Ireland’s opening Rugby World Cup game against USA on Sunday morning, ko 7am (Irish time).

22 year old Murray is one of nine of the starting team making their Rugby World Cup debuts, with a further two possible debutants named among the replacements.

His fellow Limerick man Keith Earls joins him in the backline, while Donncha O'Callaghan & Paul O'Connell assume their usual partnership in the second row.

Jerry Flannery, Donnacha Ryan, Denis Leamy and Ronan O'Gara are named in the replacements

Ireland XV
15 – Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)*
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)*
10 – Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)*
9 – Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)*
1 – Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)*
2 – Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 – Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)*
4 – Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 – Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 – Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)*
7 – Shane Jennings (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)*
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)*

Replacements:
16 – Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
17 – Tony Buckley (Sale Sharks)*
18 – Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)*
19 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 – Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 – Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)

*Denotes Rugby World Cup debut