O'Brien, also pressing for selection against England, was injured just 24 hours after fellow Ireland hopeful Donnacha Ryan sustained shoulder damage while in action for Munster.

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The Irish bench also includes Cian Healy, Donnacha Ryan, Isaac Boss and Jonathan Sexton but as expected, Rob Kearney will not feature because of a knee injury.

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But Lawes is not just a "crash, bang, wallop" destroyer, as his magnificent display against Munster's Ireland and Lions second-row pairing of Paul O'Connell and Donnacha O'Callaghan in the Heineken Cup demonstrated.

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