Rugby-Murphy the only Ireland change for England clash

(Adds Schmidt quotes) DUBLIN, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Ireland number eight Jordi Murphy will replace the injured Jamie Heaslip against England on Sunday in the only change to the champions side ahead of a potential Six Nations decider. Heaslip cracked three vertebrae in Ireland's 18-11 victory over France two weeks ago in an incident that earned French lock Pascal Pape a 10-week ban, and Ireland hope he will be fit for their next game against Wales in Cardiff on March 14. Murphy, who made his first Six Nations start in the opening win in Italy, joins a pack where Leicester team mate Jack McGrath has kept fit-again British and Irish Lions prop Cian Healy on the bench for the second successive game. "There's always a temptation to change things up but I think Jack has done a super job," Ireland coach Joe Schmidt told a news conference, saying that although Healy was very short of game time, McGrath was selected on merit. "It's like some of the other decisions we made, there were temptations to tinker in other positions but the players who are performing, it's hard to look past them. It's very competitive every week, that's a good position to be in as a squad." Ireland's backline, spearheaded by flyhalf Johnny Sexton, is unchanged while England have made two changes with winger Jack Nowell making his first England appearance for a year and Alex Goode replacing the unfit Mike Brown. While Ireland are eyeing a 10th successive win in a run that spans a year, there has been criticism that their tough defence and reliance on a kick and chase game has become "boring". "In modern rugby, there are a lot of big men on a pitch that is not very big, even though it may look big from the stadium and I believe you've got to be three-dimensional in your attack," New Zealand-born Schmidt said. "If you're one dimensional, particularly against England, it's going to be a tough day." England and Ireland have both won their opening two games and the victors on Sunday will be hot favourites to go on to take the title. Ireland: 15-Rob Kearney, 14-Tommy Bowe, 13-Jared Payne, 12-Robbie Henshaw, 11-Simon Zebo, 10-Jonathan Sexton, 9-Conor Murray, 8-Jordi Murphy, 7-Sean O'Brien, 6-Peter O'Mahony, 5-Paul O'Connell (captain), 4-Devin Toner, 3-Mike Ross, 2-Rory Best, 1-Jack McGrath. Replacements: 16-Sean Cronin, 17-Cian Healy, 18-Martin Moore, 19-Iain Henderson, 20-Tommy O'Donnell, 21-Eoin Reddan, 22-Ian Madigan, 23-Felix Jones. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin, editing by Ed Osmond)