Six Nations Under-21 Scotland v Ireland/Falkirk, 7.30There are a few parallels with the senior fixture here. For starters, Scotland ran France desperately close (8-12) last week, the seeds of recovery are thus sprouting throughout their national set-ups. Then there is chopping and changing at openside as Ireland await the return to full health of Oisín Hennessy. Malone's Chris Henry edges out Anthony Kavanagh of Garryowen to bring the Ulster contingent in the starting XV to nine.
"We are slightly changing the team's balance as Scotland is a different scenario to Italy," noted manager David Haslett. "Chris is more of a ball player and brings more strength against a big Scottish pack. Like last week it was a toss up between him and Anthony, as he played reasonably well in Italy."
Tom Gleeson drops out of the 22 altogether as London Irish centre Kieran Geraghty is promoted. The promising Gleeson can take solace from the fact he still has another year at this level.
Hooker Joseph Merrigan also loses out to a Zurich Premiership fringe player as Saracens' Stuart Philpott comes in. Another notable inclusion is Dungannon's Ryan Caldwell on the bench. The second row was a part of last year's World Cup squad and is returning from a knee injury.
With one eye on the summer World Cup in Argentina, coach Mark McDermott appears keen to add further muscle up front. The other eye is fixed on keeping the unbeaten run over the Scots at this level intact to leave things heating up nicely for England's visit to Donnybrook in a fortnight.
IRELAND: M Kettyle (Belfast Harlequins); T Bowe (Belfast Harlequins), A Trimble (Ballymena), K Geraghty (London Irish), P McKenzie (Belfast Harlequins); G Steenson (Dungannon, capt), C Willis (UCD); M Diffley (Buccaneers), S Philpott (Saracens), J Andress (Belfast Harlequins); M Melbourne (Garryowen), L Stevenson (Belfast Harlequins); B McNamee (Northampton), S Ferris (Dungannon), C Henry (Malone). Replacements: J Merrigan (Corinthians), E Bracken (Buccaneers), R Caldwell (Dungannon), A Kavanagh (Garryowen), D O'Leary (UCC), B Keeshan (Cork Constitution), S Grissing (UCD).
SCOTLAND: B Archibald (Stirling County); B Addison (Stirling County), N De Luca (Heriots), G Law (Hawick), S Manning (Ayr); D Blair (Sale Sharks), A McFarlane (GHA); S Corsar (Aberdeen GSFP), R Ford (The Borders/Scottish Institute of Sport), S Fenwick (Ayr); I Nimmo (Heriots), S Walker (Newcastle Falcons); C White (Stirling County), N Cochrane (Watsonians, capt) S Forrest (Glasgow Hawks). Replacements: S Lawrie (Watsonians), D Young (Leicester Tigers), S Tomes (Newcastle Falcons), G Strang (Aberdeen GSFP), R Snedden (Currie), I Kennedy (GHA), A Nash (Watsonians).
