Andy Farrell has made six changes to the Irish starting XV for Sunday’s crunch Six Nations game against Scotland at Murrayfield (kick-off 3pm), with Tadhg Furlong returning at tighthead for his first game since early December.
Garry Ringrose, Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray, Dan Sheehan and Peter O’Mahony are all restored as well, with Bundee Aki and Caelan Doris each reverting to their more familiar positions of inside centre and number eight respectively.
The match day 23 has also been strengthened by the return from injury of Jamison Gibson-Park and Robbie Henshaw to the replacements, where Cian Healy is preferred to David Kilcoyne. Ronan Kelleher, Jack Conan and Ross Byrne revert to the bench after starting in Ireland’s 34-20 win over Italy in Rome a fortnight ago.
It is a measure of the team’s improved depth that Craig Casey and Stuart McCloskey miss out, even though the latter has impressed in starting all six of Ireland’s games this season up to this point.
Save for the injured Tadhg Beirne, this is the same pack that started all three Tests against the All Blacks as well as the Autumn Series wins at home to South Africa and Australia. All the backs bar Murray, who was a replacement in all three Tests in New Zealand, also started in that series as Ireland seek to set up a shot at the Grand Slam against England at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday week.
“It’s always nice to have players coming back towards the end of the tournament,” said Farrell. “This stretch now coming up is probably the hardest stretch, back-to-back games with a six-day turnaround, so it’s good that the squad is nice and healthy.”
In choosing Murray ahead of Gibson-Park, the Irish head coach said: “Jamison has just come back into the group, he’s not been back long. We’ve seen his quality in training already but Conor’s playing really well and deserves to start.
“Conor’s a big-game player and his style of play has suited a lot of styles we’ve come up against throughout the years, so we expect him to be at his best.”
In welcoming back the “world-class” Furlong, Farrell said: “He’s a world-class prop and a great leader and when you look around the changing room there are certain players that give a sense of confidence whether they’re playing or not and he’s one of them.
“Tadhg doesn’t have to tear himself apart mentally to try and make sure that he gets up to speed because he’s already figured it out. He’s one of those that when he’s driving the car, or sat in his room, or having a bit of food or whatever, he’s probably thinking about the game anyway so when it comes to training it’s all boxed off. He brings confidence to the team by how he prepares and that gives us confidence to know that he’s ready to play.
“Tadhg’s nothing to lose. He just needs to be himself, he just needs to go out there and enjoy it. He’s enjoyed the week, he’s been pretty relaxed so far, he’s been great around the group. He’ll build up for what’s going to be a physical battle, like everyone else will, and he’s nothing to lose. He just needs to go out there and perform the best he can for his team.”
Scotland are seeking a first Triple Crown in 23 years on Sunday and, while clearly relishing the challenge, Farrell said: “They’re playing really well across the board. They’re pretty physical in the set-piece, the carries, and the breakdown. That’s all forward play. The forwards are setting the platform for the backs to be able to play the way they’re playing as well, so at this moment in time, they’re the whole package as far as they’re playing. And very confident going into this game, I’m sure they are.”
Nor was he inclined to say this was the best Scotland team he’s even encountered, instead maintaining: “I think they’ve always been a really tough side to break down. The proof is in the history of that. You name me a game where they’ve not been confident going into a game against Ireland. Rightly so really, because we’ve always had ding-dong battles with them.
“It’s always been really tough and this is no different is it? So, both sides are used to that.”
Ireland team to face Scotland:
Hugo Keenan (Leinster); Mack Hansen (Connacht), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Bundee Aki (Connacht), James Lowe (Leinster); Johnny Sexton (Leinster), Conor Murray (Munster); Andrew Porter (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster); Iain Henderson (Ulster), James Ryan (Leinster); Peter O’Mahony (Munster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster).
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), Cian Healy (Leinster), Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Ryan Baird (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), Ross Byrne (Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster).
