Wales v Ireland: Teams

Dan Biggar will lead the Welsh attack tomorrow after the Ospreys’ play-maker was named at fly-half to face Ireland.
After a troublesome Summer and Autumn Test series, Wales start the defence of their Grand Slam crown against an Irish side also looking to make amend for a poor 12 months.
Biggar has been in good form recently for the Pro12 Champions but faced the challenge of the ever-present James Hook to wear the No.10 shirt.
He will partner former teammate and Bayonne-based Mike Phillips at half-back while Hook has been named on the bench.
Up front, Dragons‘ lock Andrew Coombs will make his Test debut in an injury-hit second row with Harlequins Olly Kohn also in line for his debut from the bench.
Scarlet Aaron Shingler is at blindside flanker, with captain Sam Warburton and Toby Faletau in the back row while there is an all British and Irish Lions front row with Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees and Adam Jones.
The back line has a more familiar feel with Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies in the midfield, flyers George North and Alex Cuthbert on the wings and the ever reliable Leigh Halfpenny at full-back.
Meanwhile, Brian O’Driscoll, Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney have been named in Ireland’s starting XV to face Wales on Saturday.
The Leinster trio missed the Autumn internationals through injury but their experience will be needed to face the reigning Grand Slam Champions at the Millennium Stadium.
The talismanic centre starts alongside old-pal Gordon D’Arcy in the midfield while O’Brien is at open side and Kearney at full-back.
There’s also a return in the front row with Ulster’s Rory Best, who also missed the autumn Test series through injury, returning at hooker.
Best’s club teammate Craig Gilroy starts on the wing with Munster‘s Simon Zebo, who scored a hat-trick against Racing Metro two weeks ago to help the Men in Red qualify to the Heineken Cup quarter-finals, on the other flank.
Wales: Leigh Halfpenny; Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, George North; Dan Biggar, Mike Phillips; Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees, Adam Jones; Andrew Coombs, Ian Evans; Aaron Shingler, Sam Warburton (Capt.), Toby Faletau.
Replacements: Ken Owens, Paul James, Craig Mitchell, Olly Kohn, Justin Tipuric, Lloyd Williams, James Hook, Scott Williams.
Ireland: Rob Kearney; Craig Gilroy, Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Simon Zebo; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Cian Healy, Rory Best, Mike Ross; Mike McCarthy, Donnacha Ryan; Peter O’Mahony, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip (Capt.).
Replacements: Sean Cronin, David Kilcoyne, Declan Fitzpatrick, Donnacha O’Callaghan, Chris Henry, Eoin Reddan, Ronan O’Gara, Keith Earls.