Nathan Hines and Scott Murray return to the Scotland team for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Ireland at Lansdowne Road.

Murray was suspended for the Calcutta Cup win over England last month, while Hines made his international return on the bench.

But the experienced pair will take over from Scott MacLeod and Alastair Kellock in the second row in the only changes to the team.

Glasgow Warriors hooker Scott Lawson will be on the bench in the absence of the injured Ross Ford, who sustained medial ligament damage at the weekend while playing for Border Reivers.

Scotland head coach Frank Hadden insists his need for experience away from Murrayfield prompted the return of Hines and Murray.

He said: "When you are away from home, there is absolutely no substitute for experience. We are playing against a team that we have not beaten at Lansdowne Road for eight years.

"They have four professional sides with a remarkable track record in Europe.

"Their junior rugby has an intensity that’s totally different from ours, which has resulted in Ireland winning the under-19 World Cup and us securing only one victory against them at under-21 level.

"Despite that, we believe we have a very good chance of winning this weekend.

"What’s important to me is that the many thousands of Scots’ fans travelling to Dublin do so not just in hope but with a genuine expectation of us doing something special again."

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan names his side at lunch-time.

Scotland:  H Southwell (Edinburgh Gunners); C Paterson (Edinburgh Gunners), M Di Rollo (Edinburgh Gunners), A Henderson (Glasgow Warriors), S Lamont (Northampton Saints); D Parks (Glasgow Warriors), M Blair (Edinburgh Gunners); G Kerr (Leeds Tykes), D Hall (Edinburgh Gunners), B Douglas (Border Reivers), N Hines (Perpignan), S Murray (Edinburgh Gunners), J White (Sale Sharks, captain), S Taylor (Edinburgh Gunners), A Hogg (Edinburgh Gunners). Substitutes: S Lawson (Glasgow Warriors), C Smith (Edinburgh Gunners), A Kellock (Edinburgh Gunners), J Petrie (Glasgow Warriors), C Cusiter (Border Reivers), G Ross (Leeds Tykes), S Webster (Edinburgh Gunners).