Six Nations: Wood returns to the Irish team
Keith Wood returns to the Irish team for his first taste of Six Nations’ action this season for Ireland’s final championship encounter with France in Paris at the weekend.
The Harlequins hooker has been sidelined through a series of injuries for almost four months.
Wood will relieve David Humphreys of the captaincy, in a side that also sees the return of Munster’s Rob Henderson.
Henderson joins his Lions colleague in the centre, which means Leinster’s Shane Horgan will resume normal service on the wing.
Hogan’s relocation means John Kelly has to make do with a spot on the replacements bench despite running in two tries on his debut last time out.
Gary Longwell and Malcolm O’Kelly resume second row dutie s - Clohessy, Hayes, Easterby, Wallace and Foley are all retained.
Girvan Dempsey wears Number 15, Denis Hickie hopes to continue his great form, and Peter Stringer links the backs and forwards from behind the scrum.
The full Irish side reads: 15 Girvan Dempsey, 14 Shane Horgan, 13 Brian O’Driscoll, 12 Rob Henderson, 11 Denis Hickie, 10 David Humphreys, 9 Peter Stringer, 1 Peter Clohessy, 2 Keith Wood, 3 John Hayes, 4 Gary Longwell, 5 Malcolm O’Kelly, 6 Simon Easterby, 7 David Wallace, 8 Anthony Foley.
