O'Driscoll captains Ireland A against Jaguares

IRELAND A: MICK O’DRISCOLL will captain the Ireland A team to face the Argentina Jaguares in the historic first international…

IRELAND A:MICK O'DRISCOLL will captain the Ireland A team to face the Argentina Jaguares in the historic first international rugby match in Tallaght Stadium tomorrow night (kick-off 7.30pm).

The squad does not contain Northampton flanker Neil Best or Leinster backrow Seán O’Brien, who are currently on standby for the senior squad as Declan Kidney waits on news of the injured Denis Leamy, who was named to face South Africa on Saturday in Croke Park but must first pass a fitness test on his ankle.

The A side contains seven full internationals in the starting team and, overall, 13 of the players who were involved in the Churchill Cup victory during the summer and sees 10 changes to the starting line-up that recorded a 48-19 win over Tonga in Ravenhill.

In the backs, Munster’s Felix Jones is at fullback in place of Gavin Duffy and both wings have also been changed, with Ian Dowling replacing Shane Horgan and Johne Murphy, who was on the bench against Tonga, coming in to start in place of Andrew Trimble.

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Fergus McFadden moves to outside centre instead of Darren Cave and Keith Matthews is rewarded with a start at inside centre. Ulster’s Ian Humphreys is retained at outhalf and will be partnered by his provincial team-mate Isaac Boss.

John Fogarty of Connacht , who was originally due to play against Tonga but remained with the senor squad as cover for Jerry Flannery, starts on Saturday at hooker in place of his injured brother Denis.

There are two new secondrows in Ryan Caldwell and the captain O’Driscoll as Devin Toner is rotated out and Donnacha Ryan starts in the backrow for this game.

He is joined there by flanker Niall Ronan at openside and John Muldoon who will play number eight, with Chris Henry reverting to the replacements.

IRELAND A: F Jones (Munster); I Dowling (Munster), F McFadden (Leinster), K Matthews (Connacht), J Murphy (Leicester); I Humphreys (Ulster), I Boss (Ulster); B Wilkinson (Connacht), J Fogarty (Leinster), M Ross (Leinster), R Cauldwell (Ulster), M O'Driscoll (Munster (capt)), D Ryan (Munster), N Ronan (Munster), J Muldoon (Connacht,) Replacements: A Kyriacou (Ulster), B Young (Ulster), E O'Donoghue (Ulster), C Henry (Ulster), F Murphy (Connacht), I Keatley (Connacht), D Hurley (Munster).

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times