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BORDEAUX, France : Scrum-half Peter Stringer was the surprise omission as Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan made three changes to his team for the crunch clash against France in Paris on Friday.
Having stuck stoicly to his first choice team for the previous two matches, O'Sullivan surprised everyone by leaving out one of his most senior players.
He also brought in hooker Jerry Flannery for the injured Rory Best, who fractured and dislocated his thumb in last Saturday's win over Georgia, while Andrew Trimble comes back into the team to replace Denis Hickie on the wing.
Stringer has been left out of the 22 altogether with Isaac Boss preferred as replacement scrum-half on the bench.
"It's a tough one because Peter has been a stalwart of the team but his form lately hasn't been his best. He hasn't been on top of his game and he's struggling a wee bit," explained O'Sullivan.
"Eoin Reddan coming in straight into that position is based on the type of game we want to play, the type he's capable of playing. His form has been good at the tail end of last season for Wasps so that's why he's been picked for this particular game."
Hickie seems has also paid the price for the lack of incisiveness that cost Ireland in their previous two matches where they laboured to unconvincing victories over Namibia (32-17) and Georgia (14-10).
But O'Sullivan insisted the change was more down to Trimble's qualities than Hickie's form. Trimble was injured for the Georgia clash but started against Namibia when the other winger Shane Horgan was out injured.
"Andrew Trimble came back into contention for selection so it's a straight swap there - we're happy to have Andrew back.
"I'm not particularly unhappy with (Hickie's form) but with a selection between two players you've got to give the nod to one of them and this time Andrew gets the nod.
"He played well in the first game also. It's not unhappiness with Denis more than for this particular game Andrew is the choice."
O'Sullivan also explained why Boss, on the bench for the last two games, did not replace Stringer in the starting line-up but kept his place on the bench.
"The bench situation would be that Isaac is a different style of player and we've used him off the bench as an impact half-back to change things.
"And he also does cover a number of positions, he's played to a high level and performed for us on the wing."
Also on the bench, the versatile Gavin Duffy has been given the nod ahead of the experienced Geordan Murphy.
Team 15-1
Girvan Dempsey; Shane Horgan, Brian O'Driscoll (capt), Gordon D'Arcy, Andrew Trimble; Ronan O'Gara, Eoin Reddan; Denis Leamy, David Wallace, Simon Easterby; Paul O'Connell, Donncha O'Callaghan; John Hayes, Jerry Flannery, Marcus Horan.
Substitutes: Frankie Sheahan, Simon Best, Malcolm O'Kelly, Neil Best, Isaac Boss, Paddy Wallace, Gavin Duffy.
- AFP/de
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