Ireland recall O'Kelly for side to face England

DUBLIN - Ireland have made two changes to the team that thrashed Wales in Dublin, recalling Malcolm O'Kelly and Eric Miller for the Six Nations rugby clash with England at Twickenham on Sunday morning (NZ time).

In the team announced yesterday, O'Kelly replaces Paul O'Connell at lock and Miller comes in for Simon Easterby on the flank.

O'Kelly, a Lion in Australia last year, missed the Wales game with a broken cheekbone, and O'Connell was concussed after scoring a try on his debut at Lansdowne Rd.

Miller, also a Lions tourist, was sidelined for the record 54-10 victory over Wales with a stomach bug.

Captain Keith Wood has failed to recover from a calf injury, leaving lock Mick Galwey with the captain's armband.

* Italy coach Brad Johnstone did not spring any major surprises yesterday as he named a squad of 22 for Sunday's test against Scotland at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome.

Padova prop Andrea Muraro is the only omission from the side who lost 33-12 to France in Paris in the first round. He is replaced in the squad by Federico Pucciarello, who plays his club rugby in England with Gloucester.

Former All Blacks prop Johnstone, who has stated he expects to come out of this campaign with two wins, was impressed by the fighting spirit Italy showed in Paris although indiscipline meant the Italians were often reduced to 14 - sometimes 13 - men.

Yesterday's training session saw newly appointed forwards coach Mark Graham, the former Kiwi star and Warriors coach, Johnstone and his assistant, fellow former All Black John Kirwan work with the players, primarily on tackling.

Graham wants the Italians to adopt a "ball and all" approach to tackling, having identified a defect in the France match in which players tackled around the legs, thus allowing their opponents to release the ball to a team-mate.

The Scots have dropped tighthead prop Craig Smith from their squad for the match. Coach Ian McGeechan had been expected to trim his 24-man squad by two but worries over the fitness of No 8 Simon Taylor forced the Scots to retain 23 players.

- AGENCIES

Six Nations results and standings

Six Nations schedule