Ireland are back on home turf for their GUINNESS Summer Series clash with Scotland, as Sean O’Brien leads his country for the first time and Mike Ross is the only starter retained from last week’s 35-21 win over Wales.
GUINNESS SUMMER SERIES TEST: Saturday, August 15
IRELAND v SCOTLAND, Aviva Stadium, 5pm (live Sky Sports 1/RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog/highlights RTÉ Two (9.55pm))
Team News: 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 Scotland.
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.
Meanwhile, Scotland head coach Vern Cotter will hand 22-year-old back rower Hugh Blake his first international cap against Ireland when the sides meet in Dublin.
After his December arrival, Hugh Blake was an unused squad member during the 2015 RBS 6 Nations, but impressed for Edinburgh and the Scotland Sevens team before earning a move west to Glasgow in the summer. Blake’s Warriors team-mate, Mike Cusack, could also make his Test debut as one of the Scots’ front row replacements.
Scrum half Henry Pyrgos will start as captain for the first time against Ireland, featuring alongside out-half Greig Tonks who will make his first start for his country since switching from his once favoured full-back position at the start of the 2014/15 season.
Peter Horne will resume his GUINNESS PRO12 title-winning centre partnership with fellow Warrior Richie Vernon, who makes his first appearance for Scotland since transforming from a number 8 two years ago.
The backs are completed by Sean Lamont, Tim Visser and Ruaridh Jackson, the latter set to make his second appearance at full-back for Scotland.
In the pack, a stomach bug has prevented Stuart McInally from making his debut alongside props Ryan Grant and Jon Welsh, meaning Fraser Brown starts with Ross Ford coming into the squad on the bench.
Jim Hamilton and the fit-again Grant Gilchrist, who returns for his first cap since skippering Scotland last summer, form the second row while, in the back row, newcomer Blake is joined Blair Cowan on the blindside flank and David Denton at number 8.
IRELAND: Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster); Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Jared Payne (Ulster), Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster); Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster); Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster), Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster) (capt).
Replacements: Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster), Michael Bent (Dublin University/Leinster), Nathan White (Connacht), Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster), Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster).
SCOTLAND: Ruaridh Jackson (Wasps); Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Tim Visser (Harlequins); Greig Tonks (Edinburgh), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) (capt); Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons), Jim Hamilton (Saracens), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Blair Cowan (London Irish), Hugh Blake (Glasgow Warriors), David Denton (Edinburgh).
Replacements: Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors), Mike Cusack (Glasgow Warriors), Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors), John Barclay (Scarlets), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh).
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Assistant Referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Television Match Official: Graham Hughes (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland to win: 1/16; Draw: 35/1; Scotland to win: 15/2
Pre-Match Quotes: Sean O’Brien (Ireland) – “I was absolutely delighted to be asked (to captain the team). It’s a great honour and something I’ve probably always wanted to do at some point. I’m very happy.
“It’s the same role for me. I’ll go out and do what I can for the team, being captain is just an added little thing to it. It doesn’t change anything from my mindset coming into the game.
“For us, the last five or six weeks has been pretty intense and a lot of hard work. So we felt that we could get that done at home and approach it in the right way. I think it’s been pretty spot on so far and the players are happy to get home a day a week and see their families, it’s nice to have that.
“I think you know when you go into a pre-season how hard it’s going to be. I think you’re never looking forward to the fitness sessions, they’re always intense. There’s not a lot from the outfield that’s been thrown at us.”
Vern Cotter (Scotland) – “It’s been important to get a good look at everyone over the last two months. The strength and conditioning team have worked hard to get more power and endurance from our players, while we’ve also focused a long on basic skill-sets.
“The successful application of these elements will enable us to perform the various forms of rugby that we would like to play – dominating collisions and using these skill-sets to become better at making and executing decisions.
“These 23 players now have the first chance to stake a claim for the final 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup, against what we know is quality opposition.”
Pre-Match Links –
Gordon D’Arcy – Ireland’s Longest-Serving International Player
Head-To-Head: Ireland v Scotland
In Pics: Ireland Captain’s Run At The Aviva Stadium
O’Connell And Spence Honoured By Rugby Writers Of Ireland
Recent Meetings –
2013: RBS 6 Nations: Scotland 12 Ireland 8, Murrayfield
2014: RBS 6 Nations: Ireland 28 Scotland 6, Aviva Stadium
2015: RBS 6 Nations: Scotland 10 Ireland 40, Murrayfield
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #ShouldertoShoulder or #IREvSCO on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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