Ireland team named for Italy Test

The Ireland squad for the Round 3 game of the Guinness Six Nations Championship against Italy in Rome on Sunday has been named. Jordi Murphy returns to the starting XV as he is named at number 8, with Peter O'Mahony captaining the team from blindside flanker. Sean O'Brien joins Murphy and O'Mahony in the back row. Quinn Roux is partnered by Ultan Dillane in the second row with Dave Kilcoyne, Sean Cronin and Tadhg Furlong making up the front-row. This will be Cronin’s first start in a Six Nations Championship. Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton start in the half backs with Bundee Aki and Chris Farrell filling the centre berths. Rob Kearney is joined in the backfield by Jacob Stockdale and Keith Earls. Following his return from injury in Ulster's win over Ospreys last weekend, Iain Henderson has been drafted on to the Ireland bench alongside clubmate John Cooney. The uncapped Jack Carty and Andrew Conway are the other backline options, with Niall Scannell, Jack McGrath, John Ryan and Josh van der Flier named as the additional forward cover. Ireland Team & Replacements (v Italy, 2019 Guinness Six Nations Championship, Stadio Olimpico, Rome KO 4pm local/3pm Irish) 15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 88 caps 14. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 74 caps 13. Chris Farrell (Young Munster/Munster) 4 caps 12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 14 caps 11. Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 16 caps 10. Jonathan Sexton (St Marys College/Leinster) 80 caps (vc) 9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 69 caps 1. Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 26 caps 2. Sean Cronin (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 67 caps 3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 30 caps 4. Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht) 12 caps 5. Quinn Roux (Galwegians/Connacht) 10 caps 6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 54 caps (c) 7. Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster) 54 caps 8. Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Ulster) 26 caps Replacements 16. Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 11 caps 17. Jack McGrath (St Marys College/Leinster) 53 caps 18. John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 16 caps 19. Iain Henderson (Queens University/Ulster) 42 caps 20. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 15 caps 21. John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster) 6 caps 22. Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht)* 23. Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 10 caps *denotes uncapped player