Horan Out, Best In

Marcus Horan has been withdrawn from the Ireland team to face Scotland in the RBS 6 Nations championship after he picked up a calf strain during today’s Captain’s Run training session.

Having assessed the injury late this afternoon, the Irish medical team have ruled him out of tomorrow’s game at Murrayfield, and Horan will be reassessed after the weekend to ascertain if he will be fit for tomorrow week’s clash with Italy.

For the Scottish game, Ulster’s Simon Best moves up from the replacements bench to take the loosehead spot and start his first Six Nations match.

Best’s provincial team-mate Bryan Young has been called into the squad and will be on bench duty tomorrow.

Denis Hickie came through the training session this morning, showing no reaction to the back spasm he suffered yesterday and the Leinster winger will be monitored by the Irish medical team over the next 24 hours.

Geordan Murphy will remain in with the squad as a precaution.

IRELAND TEAM AND REPLACEMENTS (v Scotland, Murrayfield, RBS 6 Nations, Saturday, March 10, kick-off 1.30pm):

Player/Club/Province/Caps

15 – Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster) 72
14 – Shane Horgan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 53
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (Blackrock College/Leinster) 72 (capt)
12 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster) 29
11 – Denis Hickie (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 56
10 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster) 69
9 – Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster) 74
1 – Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 14
2 – Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 10
3 – John Hayes (Bruff/Munster) 71
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 33
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) 42
6 – Simon Easterby (Llanelli) 55
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster) 35
8 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster) 20

Replacements:

16 – Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster) 12
17 – Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster) 5
18 – Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster) 6
19 – Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 9
20 – Eoin Reddan (Wasps) 1
21 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster) 3
22 – Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 13

Not Considered Due To Injury:

Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster) {shoulder}
Malcolm O’Kelly (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) {knee}
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster) {calf}