Kick-off: 17:15 – Saturday 8 November
Venue: Thomond Park
Ireland will kick of their string of friendlies against Canada in the recently renovated Thomond Park. The match should provide a great opportunity to for coach Declan Kidney to hand out a few new caps in the form of Ryan Cladwell and Keith Earls.
Team
Ireland: Earls; Bowe, O’Driscoll, capt, Fitzgerald, Kearney; O’Gara, Reddan; Horan, Flannery, Buckley, O’Callaghan, O’Connell, Ferris, Jennings, Heaslip.
Replacements (from): R Best, Hayes, Caldwell, Quinlan, D Wallace, P Wallace, Stringer, Horgan.
Paddy Wallace will start at centre for Saturday’s big game against New Zealand. Wallace replaces Luke Fitzgerald who has had to pull out of the game due to an ankle injury. 
Eddie O’Sullivan has announced the team which will play Italy in the opening game of the 2008 Six Nations at Croke Park. The team sees Geordan Murphy welcomed back to the starting line-up on the left wing. Eion Reddan will also start next to and in-form Ronan O’Gara. 
Eddie O’Sullivan has today signed a four year agreement which will extend his contract as the Irish coach until 2012. 