Ireland team masseur Willie Bennett and doctor Ciaran Cosgrave joined IRFU President Greg Barrett and the Ireland matchday squad for the traditional team photograph at the Captain's Run ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
Their bid for successive Grand Slams may be over, but Ireland, who host Scotland in the middle act of ‘Super Saturday’, are determined to become first team to win back-to-back Guinness Men’s Six Nations titles since England in 2017.
Saturday, March 16 –
IRELAND (1st) v SCOTLAND (3rd), Aviva Stadium, 4.45pm (live Virgin Media One/ITV 1/STV/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Radio Ulster/BBC Radio 5 Live/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: With Ireland taking a four-point lead into the final round, head coach Andy Farrell has selected an unchanged team to gun for Championship glory against Scotland. Calvin Nash has been passed fit to feature again on the right wing.
Jack Crowley, the tournament’s joint-second top points scorer with 45 points, and Jamison Gibson-Park lead a back-line that has Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki manning the midfield positions, with Hugo Keenan and James Lowe completing the back-three.
Lowe is chasing his fifth try of the campaign, as is Dan Sheehan who is joined in the tight five by Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, and Tadhg Beirne who becomes the latest member of the Ireland squad to reach 50 caps.
Captain Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, and Caelan Doris make up the back row as Ireland aim to quickly bounce back to winning ways. They have won their last 18 home matches, and have won 13 of their last 14 encounters with Scotland, including the last nine in a row.
Farrell and his fellow coaches have opted for a 5-3 split on the bench, which includes the fit-again Garry Ringrose, who has recovered from a shoulder injury, Conor Murray, and Harry Byrne as the replacement backs.
Rónan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird, and Jack Conan are the forward reinforcements at the defending champions’ disposal. Healy is sure to get a big reception as he is set to become Ireland’s second most-capped player of all-time (129 caps).
Speaking about the team selection, Farrell said: “That’s a small part of it, what’s the best for this weekend and what’s the best side to take the field for this occasion and this opposition is another part of it.
“There’s a little bit of me learning from past experience that sometimes when people are disappointed, you tend to get a good reaction out of them as well.
“I suppose Scotland are hoping for the same in that regard as well. It all adds up to that XV, the 23 is a bit different though.”
He added: “I love winning titles, there’s no doubt about that, but this is an occasion for us to perform when it really matters. We said it in the Grand Slam game last year and we were able to get over the line but the performance wasn’t exactly white hot, so that’s what you’re always chasing.
“Of course winning matters a lot. Certainly winning Six Nations titles, however, means an awful lot but having said that, we pride on ourselves on performing well when it matters, and I suppose that’s what we’ll judge ourselves on first.”
Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors centre Stafford McDowall is poised for his first taste of Six Nations action after being brought in as one of two changes to head coach Gregor Townsend’s starting line-up.
McDowall, who made his international debut in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Italy last year, will partner his club-mate Huw Jones in midfield for the eagerly-awaited Dublin clash.
Ben White also comes in to pair up with co-captain Finn Russell at half-back, having not played in last weekend’s 31-29 defeat away to Italy. Russell is the tournament’s leading points scorer (47), and winger Duhan van der Merwe is the top try scorer with five.
Vice-captain Grant Gilchrist and tighthead Zander Fagerson provide experience in an changed pack, with 137 caps between them. Glasgow flanker Rory Darge co-captains alongside Russell, who will make his 80th Test appearance for his country.
“We know how tough it’s going to be. They’re one of the top two teams in the world and at home they’ve been virtually unbeatable so it’s going to require something special,” said Townsend, whose side could win Scotland’s first Triple Crown since 1990.
“We’ve got to accept that they’ll score points on Saturday. I think before (losing 23-22 to) England, they were averaging 30 points a game, so it will be a test for our defence, and we have to score points.
“We have to get to 20 or more, which will be tough but we believe we can do that against any team. We’re still playing for something, not just a place in the table, it’s for a trophy (the Triple Crown).
“Also we’re playing one of the best teams in the world, so that’s got to inspire us to deliver our best rugby.”
Guinness Men’s Six Nations Results/Fixtures
Guinness Men’s Six Nations Table
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht), James Lowe (Leinster); Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster).
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster), Harry Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster).
SCOTLAND: Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse); Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh); Finn Russell (Bath) (co-capt), Ben White (Toulon); Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Andy Christie (Saracens), Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors) (co-capt), Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors).
Replacements: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh), Rory Sutherland (Oyonnax), Elliot Millar-Mills (Northampton Saints), Sam Skinner (Edinburgh), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Cameron Redpath (Bath), Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors).
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson, Christophe Ridley (both England)
Television Match Official: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Pre-Match Quotes: Peter O’Mahony (Ireland) –
I’ve been in plenty of games, last game of the competition, that we haven’t been in with a shout. The position that we’re in, it’s very privileged and you can never take it for granted.
“What a game to be selected for. It can never be something that you take for granted playing for Ireland, especially on the last day of a weekend like this and playing for something as big as a Six Nations Championship.
“Off the back of a loss for both of us that you know you try and focus the mind on certain things and try to make improvements and you always want your next performance to be a winning one, so I’m sure we’re both in the same camp in that department.
“We’re certainly hurting from last week with certain aspects of the performance and losing. We don’t want to lose, neither do Scotland so we’re in the same boat.”
Rory Darge (Scotland) –
Coming here to get a result is going to be a tough ask but we’ve got a lot to play for. It’s 30-odd years since the Triple Crown for a Scottish team and obviously after a loss like last weekend, the first thing you want to do is get back out there and put things as right as you can.
“That’s what we’re looking forward to. The fuel is the result (losing 31-29 to Italy last week). The fuel is how gutted we were after the game. It was a quiet changing room.
“A tough weekend to process what went on but that’s the fuel for me – and the Triple Crown. The opportunity to come to Dublin and beat one of the best teams in the world, that’s enough motivation.”
Pre-Match Videos –
Recent Meetings –
2021: Guinness Six Nations: Scotland 24 Ireland 27, BT Murrayfield
2022: Guinness Six Nations: Ireland 26 Scotland 5, Aviva Stadium
2023: Guinness Six Nations: Scotland 7 Ireland 22, BT Murrayfield; Rugby World Cup Pool B: Ireland 36 Scotland 14, Stade de France
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