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Rugby Union

Stringer and Best promoted to Ireland XV

10/06/2008

Scrum-half Peter Stringer and hooker Rory Best have been called into the Ireland starting XV to play Australia in the second Test of their summer tour.

Munster half-back Stringer, who is Ireland's most-capped scrum-half replaces Wasps' Eoin Reddan, who started the first match of the tour against the All Blacks last week.

And Ulster front-row Best comes in for Stringer's Munster team-mate Jerry Flannery following the 21-11 defeat in Wellington.

Both Flannery and Reddan are named among the replacements.

The rest of the starting lineup remains unchanged for the match at the Telstra Stadium in Melbourne as the Irish look to build on a promising performance against New Zealand last time out.

Ireland team to play Australia in Melbourne on Saturday:

15 - Rob Kearney (Leinster)
14 - Shane Horgan (Leinster)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster, captain)
12 - Paddy Wallace (Ulster)
11 - Tommy Bowe (Ulster)
10 - Ronan O'Gara (Munster)
9 - Peter Stringer (Munster);
1 - Marcus Horan (Munster)
2 - Rory Best (Ulster)
3 - John Hayes (Munster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Munster)
6 - Denis Leamy (Munster)
7 - David Wallace (Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)

Replacements:

16 - Jerry Flannery (Munster)
17 - Tony Buckley (Munster)
18 - Mick O'Driscoll (Munster)
19 - Shane Jennings (Leinster)
20 - Eoin Reddan (Wasps)
21 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
22 - Girvan Dempsey (Leinster)