Wallace and Stringer preferred

RUGBY NEWS:THE DECISION to pair Paddy Wallace and Peter Stringer at halfback is one of the more interesting decisions take by Ireland coach Declan Kidney in naming an A team for Sunday's clash with the England Saxons at The Recreation Ground (2pm, live on Sky Sports).

Wallace has played the majority of his rugby for both Ulster and Ireland at inside centre in recent seasons, albeit wearing the number 10 jersey, will hardly be an encumbrance for a player who has played in that position in Test rugby.

He played in four matches during the Grand Slam last season in the centre.

Kidney has already stressed that players who line out in Bath will not be precluded from inclusion in the Ireland squad for tomorrow week’s opening Six Nations Championship match against Italy at Croke Park.

He has preferred Stringer (91 caps) and Wallace (19) – he’s giving the latter some game time at outhalf in case of injury to either Jonathan Sexton or Ronan O’Gara – over Ulster’s first choice halfback axis Isaac Boss and Ian Humphreys, who are named among the replacements.

Munster’s Denis Hurley was ruled out through injury, while another original member when the Ireland A squad was announced, Johne Murphy, is now unavailable.

Connacht’s Gavin Duffy, happily recovered from a cheekbone injury, starts at fullback with his provincial team-mate and the Magners League’s leading try scorer, Fionn Carr, getting a deserved opportunity on the right wing.

Fergus McFadden (Leinster) and Keith Matthews (Connacht) combine in midfield, with Ulster’s Darren Cave on the bench. The game could not be more opportune for Munster prop Marcus Horan (66) and Ulster hooker Rory Best (34), who will be able to accelerate their rehabilitation after illness and injury respectively: they boast 100 Test caps between them.

It represents an opportunity not alone for Horan and Best but Tony Buckley (starting tighthead) and Mike Ross (bench) to try to nudge their way into Kidney’s thinking for the Italian test in what is a very competitive frontrow mix.

Mick O’Driscoll will captain the side from the secondrow, where he is partnered by Devin Toner with Leinster tearaways Shane Jennings and Seán O’Brien either side of Connacht’s John Muldoon at number eight.

Ireland’s opponents, the England Saxons will still be smarting from the 49-22 thumping they received from an Ireland side in last summer’s Churchill Cup final. Muldoon, Toner and Boss were among the try scorers that day and Sunday’s team retains four starters in McFadden, Matthews, Buckley and Toner.

England were due to be captained by London Irish secondrow Nick Kennedy but he was withdrawn with a knee injury, while Wasps’ Danny Cipriani is also missing because of a family bereavement.

Northampton’s Shane Geraghty will start at outhalf, partnered by Leicester’s promising Ben Youngs, who many observers think will play a part in the Six Nations.

George Skivington will wear the captain’s armband, while centre Dom Waldouck is paired with Saracens’ Brad Barritt.

There is an abundance of pace on the wings in Noah Cato and Harlequins’ David Strettle.

Worcester’s Tom Wood and Gloucester’s Dave Attwood will make their Saxons debuts in the pack.

Sunday will mark the last time the Ireland A name will be used because the team will henceforth be known as the Ireland Wolfhounds, starting with a Test against Scotland A at Ravenhill this day next week.

The Wolfhounds was initially the brainchild of Irish rugby icons, the late Karl Mullen and Jack Kyle. Created in 1956 as an invitational side to spread the rugby gospel among the towns and villages of Ireland, over the years Irish internationals such as Brendan Mullin, Willie John McBride and Anthony O’Reilly all represented the Wolfhounds in their distinctive green and white hooped jerseys.

The final recorded appearance of the Wolfhounds was in 1987 when they played against Greystones in Dr Hickey Park to celebrate the club’s golden Jubilee.

Meanwhile, London Irish number eight Chris Hala’ufia has been suspended for four weeks (February 25th) following an independent disciplinary hearing in Dublin yesterday that found him guilty of striking Leinster captain Leo Cullen during the Heineken Cup match between the teams at Twickenham last weekend.

Both parties have the right to appeal.

IRELAND A: Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht); Fionn Carr (Galwegians/Connacht), Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht), Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster); Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster), Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster); Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster); Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster, capt), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Shane Jennings (St Mary's College/Leinster), Seán O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster), John Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht). Replacements: John Fogarty (DLSP/Leinster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster), Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster), Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster), Ian Humphreys (Ballymena/Ulster), Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster).

ENGLAND SAXONS:Alex Goode (Saracens); David Strettle (Harlequins), Dominic Waldouck (London Wasps), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Noah Cato (Saracens); Shane Geraghty (Northampton Saints), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers); Nick Wood (Gloucester Rugby), David Paice (London Irish), Paul Doran-Jones (Gloucester); Dave Attwood (Gloucester), George Skivington (London Wasps, capt); Tom Wood (Worcester Warriors), Andy Saull (Saracens), Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints). Replacements: Tom Mercey (Saracens), Rob Webber (London Wasps), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Luke Narraway (Gloucester), Micky Young (Newcastle Falcons), Jon Clarke (Northampton Saints), Miles Benjamin (Worcester Warriors).