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Tadhg Beirne comes in for Ireland's final Six Nations clash

Tadhg Beirne comes in for Ireland's final Six Nations clash

Joe Schmidt has named his team for Saturday's Six Nations showdown against Wales in Cardiff.

The Irish boss, as expected, recalled Rob Kearney and Sean O'Brien while handing Tadhg Beirne his Six Nations debut.

Beirne will be partnered in the second row by James Ryan, with Quin Roux on the bench as a replacement.

O'Brien will have Munster duo Peter O'Mahony and CJ Stander alongside him in the back row. Josh van der Flier had been withdrawn from the squad earlier this week with a groin injury sustained in last Sunday's game.

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Rory Best will captain from the front row in between Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong. Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray will form Ireland's first-choice half-back partnership.

The inclusion of Rob Kearney at fullback means Jordan Larmour will be on a bench which includes three Connacht players - Roux, Kieran Marmion and Jack Carty.

Ireland's centres and wingers are unchanged from last week's game with France, while Munster duo Niall Scannell and Dave Kilcoyne complete the replacements alongside Leinster's Andrew Porter and Jack Conan.

Wales will be unchanged when they look to seal the Grand Slam in rugby union's Six Nations on Saturday.

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Head coach Warren Gatland has stuck with the same match-day squad which beat Scotland for their clash with Ireland in Cardiff. Victory will secure the title for Gatland's side.

It will be his final match in charge of Wales in the competition, with the New Zealander stepping down after this year's World Cup.

Ireland: R Kearney; K Earls, G Ringrose, B Aki, J Stockdale; J Sexton, C Murray; C Healy, R Best (capt), T Furlong; T Beirne, J Ryan; P O'Mahony, S O'Brien, CJ Stander.

Replacements: N Scannell, D Kilcoyne, A Porter, Q Roux, J Conan, K Marmion, J Carty, J Larmour.

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Wales: Williams, North, J Davies, Parkes, Adams, Anscombe, G Davies, Evans, Owens, Francis, Beard, Wyn Jones (Capt), Navidi, Tipuric, Moriarty

Replacements: Dee, Smith, Lewis, Ball, Wainwright, A Davies, Biggar, Watkin

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