Ireland v Scotland: Facts & Figures

RBS UNDER-20 6 NATIONS: Friday, February 22

SCOTLAND UNDER-20s (3rd) v IRELAND UNDER-20s (4th), Netherdale, Galashiels, 7.30pm

– Scotland’s only three wins in the Under-20 Six Nations since 2009 have all been against Italy

– The Ireland Under-20s’ last five encounters in the Six Nations have all been won by the home side on the day

– Ireland’s only away win in their last four games in this competition was 13-12 over France in Grenoble in round 2 last year

– Scotland have won only one of their nine previous encounters with the Ireland Under-20s: 35-20 at McDiarmid Stadium in Perth in March 2009

– Centre Tom Daly, who slotted the match-winning conversion for Ireland against England last time out, is currently the fourth top points scorer in the Championship with 18 points (1 try, 2 conversions and 3 penalties)

Match Ticket Info: Admission is free.

SCOTLAND U-20: Ruaridh Young (Edinburgh Accies); Damien Hoyland (Boroughmuir), Chris Auld (Gala), Robbie Fergusson (Ayr), Rory Hughes (Scotland Sevens/Stirling County); Tommy Allan (unattached), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh/Heriot’s); Jamie Bhatti (Stirling County), Callum Black (Edinburgh Accies), Phil Cringle (Edinburgh/Stewart’s-Melville FP), Adam Sinclair (Perpignan), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors/Currie) (capt), Alex Henderson (Boroughmuir), Will Bordill (Sale Sharks), Adam Ashe (Glasgow Warriors/Stirling County).

Replacements: Reyner Kennedy (Stirling County), Shawn Muir (Hawick), D’arcy Rae (Ayr), Ruaridh Leishman (Edinburgh Accies), Tommy Spinks (London Scottish), Ali Price (Bedford Blues), Alex Hagart (Aberdeen Grammar), Keith Buchan (Boroughmuir).

IRELAND U-20: Darragh Leader (Galwegians/Connacht); David Panter (Corinthians/Connacht), Tom Daly (Lansdowne/Leinster), Rory Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), Rory Scholes (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster); Steve Crosbie (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) (capt); Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster), George McGuigan (Newcastle Falcons/Exiles), Chris Taylor (Malone/Ulster), Gavin Thornbury (UCD/Leinster), John Donnan (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Peadar Timmins (UCD/Leinster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Ryan Murphy (Dolphin/Munster).

Replacements: John Andrew (Ballymena/Ulster), Ryan Furniss (Worcester Warriors/Exiles), Adam Boland (Lansdowne/Connacht), Jerry Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Eoghan Masterson (Clontarf/Leinster), John Creighton (Malone/Ulster), Mark Roche (Lansdowne/Connacht), Darren Sweetnam (UCC/Munster).

Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Wayne Davies, Kelvin Shorte (both Wales)

WOMEN’S RBS 6 NATIONS: Saturday, February 23

SCOTLAND WOMEN (6th) v IRELAND WOMEN (1st), Howthornden, Lasswade, 2pm (Irish Rugby TV highlights)

– Scotland Women have lost their last seven games since beating Netherlands 33-10 in Amsterdam in November 2011

– Scotland have not won in the Women’s Six Nations since beating France 10-8 at Lasswade in February 2010

– Ireland are going for a first ever Triple Crown

– Ireland Women have lost just one of their last seven matches at this level: 23-6 to England at Esher last March

– Ireland have won their last seven matches against Scotland Women since the 2006 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Edmonton, Canada

– Winger Alison Miller, who captained Connacht in the recent Interprovincial Championship, is the 2013 Six Nations’ top try scorer so far following her hat-trick against England

Match Ticket Info: Admission is free.

SCOTLAND WOMEN: Steph Johnston (RHC Cougars); Annabel Sergeant (Richmond), Sarah Dixon (RHC Cougars), Lisa Ritchie (Carlisle), Megan Gaffney (Hillhead Jordanhill); Tanya Griffith (RHC Cougars), Louise Dalgliesh (RHC Cougars); Heather Lockhart (Hillhead Jordanhill), Sarah Quick (Murrayfield Wanderers), Tracey Balmer (Worcester), Lindsay Wheeler (Richmond), Becca Parker (Hillhead Jordanhill), Jade Konkel (Hillhead Jordanhill), Tess Forsberg (Richmond), Susie Brown (Richmond) (capt).

Replacements: Beth Dickens (Murrayfield Wanderers), Suzanne McKerlie-Hex (Murrayfield Wanderers), Nikki McLeod (Morgan), Bridget Millar-Mills (Worcester), Kelly Shields (Murrayfield Wanderers), Sarah Law (Murrayfield Wanderers), Laura Steven (Murrayfield Wanderers), Leanne Neary (RHC Cougars).

IRELAND WOMEN: Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster); Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exile), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Connacht); Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Larissa Muldoon (UWIC/Exile); Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster) (capt), Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster), Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Sophie Spence (Mowden Park Sharks/Exile), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster), Claire Molloy (Bristol/Exile), Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster).

Replacements: Stacey-Lea Kennedy (City of Derry/Ulster), Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster), Lauren Day (Waterloo/Exile), Leigh Dargan (Saracens/Exile), Laura Guest (Highfield/Munster), Amy Davis (Blackrock College/Ulster), Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster), Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster).

Referee: Simon Rees (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Alex Pratt, Brian Darling (both Scotland)

RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, February 24

SCOTLAND (2nd) v IRELAND (3rd), Murrayfield, 2pm (live RTÉ Two/BBC One)

STATS & FACTS

– Scotland ended a four-match losing run with their 34-10 victory over Italy at Murrayfield two weeks ago

– The Scots have not won two of their first three games in an RBS 6 Nations campaign since 2006, and have been victorious in round three just twice since 2002: in 2006 and 2009

– Ireland lost their most recent RBS 6 Nations match 12-6 to England but have not lost back-to-back games in the Championship since 2008

– The last time that Ireland lost the middle game in an RBS 6 Nations campaign was way back in 2001: 32-10 to Scotland at Murrayfield

– Scotland’s only win in their last eleven RBS 6 Nations clashes with Ireland was 23-20 at Croke Park in 2010

– Ireland have won on their last five visits to Murrayfield in the tournament

ON THE PITCH

– Scotland are the top try scorers in the 2013 RBS 6 Nations so far with six, four of these tries have originated from their own half. This despite the fact Scotland have made the fewest carries (146) of all nations

– Scotland have the best goal-kicking rate in the tournament so far, converting 90% of their attempts at goal (nine out of 10, all by Greig Laidlaw)

– Ireland have completed 92% of their tackles in the competition so far, a better rate than any other side

– Stuart Hogg is the top metre-maker in the tournament so far (201); he is also the only player to cross for more than one try (2)

– Ireland will be missing the competition’s top tackler for this match; the suspended Cian Healy has completed all 27 tackles he has attempted

– Kelly Brown has won six turnovers in his 150 minutes of action so far, more than any other player in the 2013 RBS 6 Nations

Match Tickets Available To Buy

SCOTLAND: Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors); Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Tim Visser (Edinburgh); Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh); Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Sale Sharks), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), Robert Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens) (capt), Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier).

Replacements: Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors), Jon Welsh (Glasgow Warriors), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), David Denton (Edinburgh), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors), Max Evans (Castres Olympique).

IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster), Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster); Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster/54) (capt).

Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), Declan Fitzpatrick (Dungannon/Ulster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster).

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: Jerome Garces (France), Greg Garner (England)
Television Match Official: Eric Gauzins (France)

– Compiled By SFMS Limited (Stuart Farmer Media Services)