This Is The Team That Joe Schmidt Should Start Against England

Ireland head into this Saturday’s clash with England with a growing list of injuries.

Dave Kearney, Mike McCarthy and Sean O’Brien were the latest players to be ruled out of the Six Nations with doubts surrounding the fitness of Simon Zebo and Jared Payne heading into the England game. Keith Earls is expected to be fit in time but a second knock to the head in as many months means we’re also going to rule him out of our starting selection and will have to make do with a spot on the bench.

Now is Joe Schmidt’s chance to shake up his backline and introduce some of Ulster’s shining young stars. Stuart McCloskey has been banging on his door for a number of months now and it’s time the Ulster man was given his chance.

Craig Gilroy has also been in fine form with another excellent try the weekend against Scarlets and deserves another shot in the green. Gilroy has been overlooked in recent years after initially breaking into the Irish team and getting off to a flying start.

Mike Ross has only recent returned to action but needs to start against England as a result of the problems Ireland have been having in the scrum at the Six Nations this year.

The Ireland Team that SHOULD start against England.

1. Jack McGrath
2. Rory Best
3. Mike Ross
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. Devin Toner
6. CJ Stander
7. Tommy O’Donnell
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Conor Murray
10. Johnny Sexton
11. Craig Gilroy
12. Stuart McCloskey
13. Robbie Henshaw
14. Andrew Trimble
15. Rob Kearney

Replacements:

Sean Cronin, Cian Healy, Nathan White, Rhys Ruddock, Dave Foley, E. Reddan, I. Madigan, K. Earls