Ireland vs. Scotland: Big guns back and several changes as Andy Farrell plots victory

Patrick McCarry

The Ireland head coach has some of his trusted lieutenants back in the fold.

Andy Farrell named his Ireland team to face Scotland, at Murrayfield, on Friday afternoon, and there were a lot of familiar faces back in the mix.

Several big guns have returned, with captain Johnny Sexton and blindside Peter O’Mahony among those starting Sunday’s match against the Scots.

IRELAND TEAM

15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 28 caps
14. Mack Hansen (Connacht/Corinthians) 12 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 49 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 44 caps
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 18 caps
10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 111 caps (c)
9. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 103 caps

1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 51 caps
2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 15 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 63 caps
4. Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 71 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 51 caps
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 92 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 48 caps
8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 26 caps

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne), Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf), Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch), Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University), Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere), Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster), Ross Byrne (Leinster/UCD), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers)

We will have all that Ireland team news, and reaction to it, as well as the Scotland match-day 23 announcement and other Six Nations news in our live feed, RIGHT HERE:

Six changes to Ireland team

While the likes of Sexton, O’Mahony, Tadhg Furlong, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw and Jamison Gibson-Park are all in training and pressing to start, Andy Farrell was left with a choice of who to start in his Ireland team.

Tadhg Furlong has not played a game since early December but Farrell has started him, with Tom O’Toole backing up. Gibson-Park or Conor Murray starting was the closest call and Farrell opted for the Munster No.9.

We correctly predicted O’Mahony, Sexton, Ringrose and Dan Sheehan would all return to the starting line-up after either being rested or on the bench for the win over Italy.

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