Six Nations: Ronan O'Gara will start at outhalf in place of Jonathan Sexton in one of three changes the Irish management have made as they attempt to get Ireland's Six Nations campaign back on track against Scotland at Murrayfield this Sunday (kick-off 3pm).
O’Gara will win his 106th international cap after making an impact when coming off the bench against Italy - he kicked the winning drop goal late in the game in Rome - and the defeat to France last time out. As Sexton drops to the bench, the switch suggests Ireland will adopt a more varied kicking strategy against the Scots.
There is also change at scrumhalf after Tomas O’Leary failed to overcome a back injury which has restricted him in training all week. His place in the starting XV goes to Eoin Reddan with Peter Stringer acting as cover from the bench.
At today’s team announcement, coach Declan Kidney said O’Leary was the only last minute decision to be made.
“We knew pretty early on. Between time spent training in Cork last Thursday, then yesterday and today here in Dublin, Tomas (O’Leary) was training with us but he pulled up with a sore back, so that was the only last minute call that cropped up,” said Kidney.
After a knee injury kept him out of the opening two games, Tommy Bowe came through unscathed when lining out for the Ospreys last weekend and takes his place on the Ireland right wing with Keith Earls operating the other flank. Fergus McFadden, who scored a try against France, can count himself somewhat unfortunate to drop out of the match day 22 entirely with Paddy Wallace acting as cover on the bench.
“Tommy (Bowe) went through the full 80 minutes last week for Ospreys, came through well, and came into training with no restrictions. He brings his own wealth of experience into the side,” added Kidney.
Donncha O’Callaghan is named in the secondrow where he will win his 70th cap in the engine room alongside Paul O’Connell. Rory Best takes his place alongside Mike Ross and Cian Healy in the frontrow with Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip and David Wallace forming a strong backrow.
Brian O’Driscoll will captain the side for the 73rd time and continues his central partnership alongside Leinster team mate Gordon D’Arcy, despite question marks over the latter’s form of late. Luke Fitzgerald remains at fullback in the long term absences of Rob Kearney and Geordan Murphy.
Ireland team (v Scotland):Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster), Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster), Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster), Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster), David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster), Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Replacements: Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht), Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster), Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster), Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster), Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster), Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
