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Ireland make three changes for Scotland but keep Conor Murray in reserve
Ireland have made three changes to their starting team to play Scotland on Sunday at Murrayfield in round four of the Guinness Six Nations following their February 27 48-10 away win over Italy. Coach Andy Farrell has opted to bring back Keith Earls, Cian Healy and Rob Herring, who were all on the bench in Rome.
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The trio had started in the February 14 loss to France in Dublin and gave way for the Italian job to Jordan Larmour, Dave Kilcoyne and Ronan Kelleher who now all revert to the bench for the assignment in Edinburgh.
The remainder of the Ireland Six Nations selection remains untouched as Farrell has resisted the temptation to restore the fit-again Conor Murray to the starting line-up. Instead, the much-experienced scrum-half will take up a bench role, taking over the No21 jersey from Craig Casey who made his debut when replacing the starting Jamison Gibson-Park in Italy.
Ryan Baird, another player to make his Test debut at the Stadio Olimpico, is retained on the bench, as are Andrew Porter, Jack Conan and Billy Burns for a match that will see starting No8 CJ Stander win his 50th Ireland cap.
The Irish are currently third on the Six Nations table with seven points, seven points behind the leaders Wales and two behind second-place France who have a game in hand as do the fifth place Scots whose February 28 match with the French was postponed.
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Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his Ireland Match Day 23 for Sunday's #GuinnessSixNations showdown against Scotland at Murrayfield ?
More: https://t.co/kCnWshuyZl#ShoulderToShoulder #IrishRugby #SCOvIRE pic.twitter.com/r37gF8g71e
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 12, 2021
IRELAND (vs Scotland, Sunday)
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster) 9
14. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 91
13. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 33
12. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 50
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 5
10. Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (capt) 97
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster) 8
1. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 107
2. Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 19
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 47
4. Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster) 61
5. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 34
6. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster) 20
7. Will Connors (UCD/Leinster) 8
8. CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 49
Replacements:
16. Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) 9
17. Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 41
18. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 35
19. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster) 1
20. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 18
21. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 88
22. Billy Burns (Ulster) 6
23. Jordan Larmour (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 27
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"It’s a challenge for every young coach"#SixNations #SCOvIREhttps://t.co/171oeG0DtM
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 9, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
that backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
24 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
48 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
24 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
24 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
24 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
24 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
24 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to commentsAfter missing the curfew, the player was simply too “Shagged” to stand up.
17 Go to commentsVernier is probably the best 12 in the world though she has some English competition these days . I am nervous for England because it is unpredictable France and who knows which team will turn up, but they have not yet shown anything that should worry England, Saturday could be a different day. I would be more confident against the BFs.
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