Ireland Team To Play Scotland Includes One New Cap
The Ireland coaching team have announced the matchday 23 which will take on Scotland in the first GUINNESS Summer Series Test at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 5pm). There is one new cap as Jack Conan is set for his international debut.
Sean O’Brien becomes the 104th man to lead Ireland as he assumes the captain’s armband for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup warm-up game against the Scots.
The Tullow native is joined in the back row by Chris Henry and Jack Conan who is set to win his first senior cap. Devin Toner and Dan Tuohy pair up in the second row, while Mike Ross is joined by Sean Cronin and Dave Kilcoyne in the front row.
Leinster duo Isaac Boss and Ian Madigan combine at half-back with Gordon D’Arcy and Jared Payne teaming up in the centre for the first time.
Notably, D’Arcy will set a new record this weekend as Ireland’s longest-serving international player, eclipsing the great Mike Gibson (1964-1979: 15 years and 128 days). The Wexford man made his debut against Romania during the 1999 Rugby World Cup and is now just two months short of reaching the 16-year career mark.
The selected back-three sees Simon Zebo, a try-scoring replacement against Wales, handed his third Test start in the full-back position with Tommy Bowe and Luke Fitzgerald on the wings.
The replacements are Richard Strauss, Michael Bent, Nathan White, who could earn his first cap off the bench, regular skipper Paul O’Connell, Jordi Murphy, Eoin Reddan, Paddy Jackson and Dave Kearney.
The match is live on Sky Sports 1 (4.30pm) with highlights shown later on RTE 2 (9.55pm).
Tickets are still available for the game on Saturday against Scotland and for the fixture against Wales on Saturday, August 29. Buy your tickets online now.
IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Scotland, 2015 GUINNESS Summer Series, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, August 15, kick-off 5pm):
15. Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)
14. Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
13. Jared Payne (Ulster)
12. Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11. Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
10. Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
9. Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)
1. Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster)
2. Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
3. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
5. Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)
6. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) *
7. Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster)
8. Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
Replacements:
16. Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
17. Michael Bent (Dublin University/Leinster)
18. Nathan White (Connacht) *
19. Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
20. Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21. Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster)
22. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster)
23. Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster)
* Denotes uncapped player