Two changes for Ireland

Ireland have made two changes to their Six Nations Grand Slam-winning side ahead of Australia's visit to Croke Park on Sunday.

Both Marcus Horan and Gordon D'Arcy are missing from the XV that beat Wales 17-15 in March, the former absent until January having undergone an unspecified routine medical procedure, while the latter has been dropped.

In their places come Leinster's Cian Healy for a Test debut at loosehead prop, while Ulster's Paddy Wallace in preferred to D'Arcy at inside centre.

Elsewhere, Muster hooker Jerry Flannery has won his battle with a calf injury and will pack down alongside Healy, while John Hayes resumes at tighthead despite a lack of match practice having completed a five-week suspension for stamping on Saturday.

Ironically, the target of Hayes' assault was Healy, whose face was raked with studs as he lay exposed at the bottom of a maul during Munster's 30-0 drubbing by Leinster on October 3.

The situation was not lost on Ireland coach Declan Kidney, who said: "One of the great ironies of sporting life is that John took a sabbatical for a few weeks and now he's in to mind Cian!

"Cian has looked good all season. I wish Marcus well, but the two of them would have been battling for the position.

"Marcus' injury made the decision easier, but Cian had been playing well and merits selection in his own right."

There are also two uncapped players on the bench in Connacht hooker Sean Cronin and Leinster fly-half Jonathan Sexton.

Captain Brian O'Driscoll will make his 100th Test appearance at the weekend having accumulated 93 caps for Ireland and six for the Lions.

Ireland: 15 R Kearney (Leinster); 14 T Bowe (Ospreys), 13 B O'Driscoll (capt) (Leinster), 12 P Wallace (Ulster), 11 L Fitzgerald (Leinster); 10 R O'Gara (Munster), 9 T O'Leary (Munster); 1 C Healy (Leinster), 2 J Flannery (Munster), 3 J Hayes (Munster), 4 D O'Callaghan (Munster), 5 P O'Connell (Munster), 6-S Ferris (Ulster), 7 D Wallace (Munster), 8 J Heaslip (Leinster).
Replacements: 16 S Cronin (Connacht), 17 T Court (Ulster), 18 L Cullen (Leinster), 19 D Leamy (Munster), 20 E Reddan (Leinster), 21 J Sexton (Leinster), 22 K Earls (Munster).