O'Gara gets nod for Irish opener

Munster's Ronan O'Gara is back in the Ireland starting line-up

Ronan O'Gara has been selected ahead of Jonathan Sexton at fly-half for Ireland's Test against New Zealand in New Plymouth on Saturday.

Sexton started the final three games of the Six Nations campaign but has only recently recovered from a broken jaw.

Connacht forwards Sean Cronin and John Muldoon are selected following injuries to regular first-choice players.

The uncapped pair of hooker John Fogarty and lock/flanker Dan Tuohy are named in the replacements.

Although passed fit earlier in the week, Leinster's Sexton has lost out to the more experienced O'Gara and has to settle for a spot on the bench.

Cronin and Muldoon face their sternest challenges yet in Irish colours after being drafted into in the starting line-up.

The pair have both played twice previously for Ireland, Cronin against Fiji and Wales and Muldoon against the United States and Canada.

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They have been thrust into the spotlight for Ireland's Australasian tour opener because of a heavy injury toll.

In the absence of Rory Best and Jerry Flannery, Cronin finds himself packing down alongside Cian Healy and John Hayes while Muldoon, who was man of the match in last week's loss to the Barbarians, slots in on the blind-side flank alongside seasoned campaigner David Wallace and the impressive Jamie Heaslip.

Other first-choice selections like Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Tommy Bowe and Donncha O'Callaghan, who were rested or had only limited time on the pitch against the Barbarians last Friday, all return for the match at Yarrow Stadium.

Mick O'Driscoll joins O'Callaghan in the second row in the absence of his Munster colleague Paul O'Connell.

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Ireland: Rob Kearney (Leinster); Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster), Andrew Trimble (Ulster); Ronan O'Gara (Munster), Tomas O'Leary (Munster); Cian Healy (Leinster), Sean Cronin (Connacht), John Hayes (Munster), Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster), Mick O'Driscoll (Munster), John Muldoon (Connacht), David Wallace (Munster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster).
Replacements: John Fogarty (Leinster), Tony Buckley (Munster), Dan Tuohy (Ulster), Shane Jennings (Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Leinster), Jonathan Sexton (Leinster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester).

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