Johnny Sexton has been named in the Ireland team to play Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.
Sexton was forced off before half time in last weekend’s Pool D win over France, but has recovered from a groin injury in time to be selected in Joe Schmidt’s starting line-up.
Keith Earls, another who was taken off injured against Les Bleus, has also been retained in the starting line-up.
Meanwhile Chris Henry, Jordi Murphy and Iain Henderson have been called into the starting XV to replace the suspended Sean O'Brien and the injured Peter O'Mahony and Paul O'Connell.
Schmidt’s selection means there are only two changes on the replacements’ bench, with Donnacha Ryan and Rhys Ruddock, who was called up last Monday, covering the back five of the pack. Otherwise, it is the same front-row back-up, and the same three replacement backs.
While the loss of O’Connell, O’Mahony and O’Brien is a significant blow - between them they have played 184 tests for Ireland - the trio of replacements do have 58 caps between them.
Aside from still being a strong starting XV, the bench (which played such a key role in Ireland striding to victory in the final quarter against the uber-fit French) still has plenty of impact in it as well.
Ireland: R Kearney, Bowe, Earls, Henshaw, D Kearney, Sexton, Murray, Healy, Best, Ross, Toner, Henderson,Murphy, Henry, Heaslip.
Replacements: Strauss, McGrath, White, Ryan, Ruddock, Reddan, Madigan, Fitzgerald
More to follow
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