Ireland go balls to the wall with gutsy team selection for Italy

Joe Schmidt goes with another new midfield combination after Jared Payne is ruled out.

The manufacturing of the Irish midfield continues with another winger drafted in as outside centre for Sunday's World Cup Pool D match with Italy. Keith Earls gets the No.13 jersey he has craved for so long, despite the fact that he does his best work out wide. The Munster man partners the fit again Robbie Henshaw in midfield, with Dave Kearney and Tommy Bowe taking up respective spots on the left and right wings. Simon Zebo starts at fullback while Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton reclaim the No 9 and No 10 jerseys respectively. Up front Jack McGrath holds off the threat of Cian Healy to start at loosehead. He packs down with Rory Best and Mike Ross. Captain Paul O'Connell is joined by Iain Henderson in the second row while the first-choice back row of Peter O'Mahony, Sean O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip are reunited. The big calls would have to be Earls at outside centre and McGrath holding off Healy but coach Joe Schmidt has expressed his faith in both men. IRELAND 15. S Zebo (Munster) 14. T Bowe (Ulster) 13. K Earls (Munster) 12. R Henshaw (Connacht) 11. D Kearney (Leinster) 10. J Sexton (Leinster) 9. C Murray (Munster) 1. J McGrath (Leinster) 2. R Best (Ulster) 3. M Ross (Leinster) 4. I Henderson (Ulster) 5. P O’Connell (capt, Toulon) 6. P O’Mahony (Munster) 7. S O’Brien (Leinster) 8. J Heaslip (Leinster) Replacements: S Cronin, C Healy (both Leinster), N White (Connacht), D Toner (Leinster), C Henry (Ulster), E Reddan, I Madigan, L Fitzgerald (all Leinster).