By Shamrock
February 3 2012
Ireland's Keith Earls has dropped out of the team to take on Wales because his baby daughter is ill. She is in hospital but thankfully is expected to be back home over the weekend ..
Fergus McFadden moves to outside centre and in comes uncapped David Kearney who played last weekend for the O2 Ireland Wolfhounds team.
Speaking at a press conference at the Aviva Stadium today, Ireland Team Manager Michael Kearney said: "s. Unfortunately Keith's baby daughter has been taken ill and is in hospital as we speak. The nature of the illness is unclear, however I did speak to Keith this morning and he was hopeful and optimistic that the baby would get home sometime over the weekend.
"It was thought that it was in the best interests of Keith and his partner and their families that Keith remains in Limerick for the weekend. Fergus comes in, instead of Keith, and David Kearney has taken Fergus' place on the replacements bench."
Sunday's match will represent McFadden's third start in the RBS 6 Nations, following two caps on the right wing against Italy and France last season. The 22-year-old Kearney joins his older brother Rob and fellow uncapped player Peter O'Mahony in the match day 22.
Ireland:
15 - Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
9 - Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster) Captain
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Replacements:
16 - Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 - Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)*
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster)*
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