O’Driscoll will return after missing the last two defeats against Scotland and France in what seems to be an almost full strength Ireland squad.

D’Arcy gets his first game of the season, moving Earls from centre on to the left wing. O’Brien will move to number six with Heaslip and O’Connell to start. Stephen Ferris returning after a serious knee injury in January is named in the replacements.

The hotly contested half-back partnership is made up of Sexton and O’Leary this time.

Kearney is not included after his groin injury at the weekend but should be back in training by the end of the week. Bowe has been involved in full training but sits out this one.

With Kidney naming his squad on Monday this is the last chance to make an impression for some players, as you’d have to expect Kidney to have most of the team already inked in.

Sean O’Brien has established himself in the No. 6 shirt producing huge displays since Ferris’ absence.

On a more positive note, Tomas O’Leary may be back for the Wales game as his back problems continue to improve.

Kearney has no chance of featuring in these championships, but has brought good news to Irish Rugby this week by turning down a lucrative offer from France and signing a new two-year deal with the IRFU which will keep him at Leinster until 2013.

O’Connell came off during the Italy game after taking a blow to the eye, but is expected to train this week. Trimble came off with a tight hamstring and is now a concern for the France game. O’Gara took a knock to the knee and will be monitored.

No players have been ruled out for France as yet, but O’Callaghan and Ferris have been drafted in (despite recovering from knee and leg injuries that kept them out of the Italy game.

Ireland Squad (in addition to Italy match 22):
Tony Buckley
Gavin Duffy
Stephen Ferris
Chris Henry
Marcus Horan
Denis Hurley
Shane Jennings
Johne Murphy
Donncha O’Callaghan
Jonathan Sexton
Dan Tuohy

Paddy Wallace is not allowed to play, Stephen Ferris is (from the bench!), Andrew Trimble is while nobody is quite sure about Tom Court! All four players are part of the new IRFU professional players World Cup 2011 policy – which will restrict the number of games they can play in a season.

The World Cup is two years away, coupled with the fact that some players who are part of this might not even get into the side (judging by some of Ireland’s young talent) by that time means this policy is raising a few eyebrows!

Watch out for more hiccups and confusion on this subject over the next two years!

It turns out that this was all for nought has he is already on a plane back to Wales. This follows a series of routine medial examinations that all players are required to go through.

Jones has recently had a couple of big tackles in his previous games and this caused concern for the Lions’ medical team. A subsequent examination by a neurosurgeon confirmed the decision and the luckless Jones will soon land in Wales once again.

Geordan Murphy, Jerry Flannery and Stephen Ferris are all drafted back in for the crunch match to ensure Ireland end up in the pool they want for the World Cup Draw.

Commenting on the challenge, Kidney said:

“It’s going to be very physical. It’s an unusual situation in that there’s so much to play for – the ramifications for them to stay in the top four (of the rankings), the ramifications for us for not getting a result.

“They can get drop goals if you let them inside your half, they can pick off points like that. They do have a way of keeping the scoreboard ticking along. They have a strong set piece.

“You don’t get to be ranked fourth by having a bad side. I was also interested looking at the South Africa match during the summer.

“After 30 minutes they were 9-0 up. Two months off with not a whole lot of pre-season under their belt but they showed what they can do.
“Every time you played them there was always something on the line over the last number of years .

“History is history…you have to see ten matches. It’s five-all and they have won the last three. We just have to concentrate on our game.”

Discussing the changes made to the side that lost 22-3 to New Zealand, Kidney agreed that once again there were a number of tight calls.

“Geordan (Murphy) has been playing well. Full-back is just an area that is highly competitive at the moment.

“It was tight over who would start over the last two weekends. We just thought he was the right man for this job.

“Stephen (Ferris) started against Canada. He played well. I would have had that in mind before last night’s hearing (for Alan Quinlan).

“At hooker, it’s a case of two guys playing well with a third man, Bernard (Jackman), breathing down their necks.

“Jerry (Flannery) played very well when he started against Canada and he played well last week. It’s not that Rory has done a whole lot wrong. It is just a judgement call really.

“The provincial coaches know all about it – the six-day, seven-day or eight-day turnaround. That’s the fine line and the way things go.”

Best will take his place on the replacements bench, having recovered from a dead leg, while Paul O’Connell retains his second row spot after fighting off a similar injury.

However, Kidney has some other concerns as he looks to confirm who will take the back row vacancy left in the replacements.

“There are a number of concerns. Shane Jennings picked up a knee injury,” he said.

“Denis Leamy, who had also been training with us, took a knock playing for Munster on Tuesday night. We’d be just hopeful that it would work out and Alan would be available.”

The appeal of Quinlan’s ban will take place in Dublin tomorrow (Friday) and the Irish management will await its result with interest.

Ferris has been pulled out of the Ireland ‘A’ squad for the Churchill Cup tournament and will meet up with the rest of the senior squad in Melbourne this Sunday.