EVERY NOW AND THEN I think, maybe, at long last, I am getting the hang of this Rugby Union writing lark. I had one such flash of inspiration at lunch-time on Friday, when the Scotland team to face Ireland, at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on Sunday was announced.
The match day squad is:
I reckoned Pierre Schoeman has been coasting in recent games, not making the impact we might expect from such a big unit; hopefullybeing dropped to the bench will be the boot up the jacksie he perhaps needed.
Gregor Townsend does have history in loyalty to his players, so it is no surprise to see him retaining Grant Gilchrist and Jonny Gray retaining their places in the boilerhouse. Some have been calling for Leicester's Cameron Henderson to be given his chance; he, however, has not even made the 23, with the more-experienced Sam Skinner being recalled to the bench.
Jack Dempsey is also back in an all-Glasgow starting back row' he will bring some go-forward while the head-to-head between Matt Fagerson and Ireland's re-called Peter O'Mahony might well be worth the admission money on its own. Townsend has gone for a 6-2 bench split, which has brought the more-versatile Jamie Dobie onto the bench for George Horne.
There is one change to the starting back division, again one anticipated, with Tom Jordan coming in at 12, with Stafford McDowall dropping to the bench. After TJ's wee cameo off the bench against Italy, this change makes sense, although big Stafford did little wrong on Saturday.
Even some Irish fans are saying the recall of veteran O'Mahony to the number six shirt is a back-handed compliment to the Scots. We know we thrive off fast ruck ball and there are few in world rugby who can disrupt and slow down ruck ball than the 110-times Munsterman.
The Irish squad (in 1-23 order) is:
Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (Captain); Jamison Gibson-Park, Sam Prendergast; James Lowe, Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Mack Hensen; Hugo Keenan. Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Garry Ringrose.
The third team on the park on Sunday, the referees, are led by New Zealand's James Doleman, who has compatriot Ben O'Keefe and France's Luc Ramos on the flags, with another Kiwi, Richard Kelly on TMO duties, while England's Andrew Jackson is the Foul Play Revidew Officer in “the bunker”.
Speaking of referees, Hollie Davidson has charge of the Rugby Europe Championship match between Belgium and Romania this weekend. She has David Sutherland and Finlay Brown as her ARs, with Ireland's Colin Stanley as TMO.
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