Thornley names the Irish XV for Scotland

Two changes Ryan and reddan in.

Healy
Best (c)
Ross
Ryan
Doc
Ferris
O'Brien
Heaslip
Reddan
Sexton
Trimble
D'arcy
Earls
Bowe
Kearney

Cronin, court, mccarthy, O'Mahoney, o'leary , ROG, McFadden

Has Best been declared fit then? I was sure that there was an injury concern over him.

D'Arcy lives again as well and i am hugely suprised (well not really) at TOL's inclusion.

There are slight injury concerns over best, doc, earls and sob but best is the only one needing a scan. If Gerry says it, it's the truth though

I was almost certain that when i saw DOC was in the starting line up that he would be made captain.

I really hope that Best comes through the scan ok and can play.

You really need best to play and play well because he's been the form hooker over the past three months.

What's the feeling amongst Irish fans about this one?

I think that most Scots fans are as nervous as we always are, to say nothing about being as ferked off as we usually are about Robinson not choosing his best XXII. However, there are reasons for the traditional limited optimism from the Scotland camp:

1. Hogg, Jones and Schlong are about the best that we can field as a back three at present, prior to his mighty Timness arriving in June.

2. Hopefully our front row will obtain parity, although this is not completely guaranteed as Cross has been out of form, Murray is carrying an injury and Mr Magoo Andy Robinson has left our form prop (Glasgow's Jon Welsh, who's mullered a number of opposite loosies this season and has scored three tries in his last 4 games) out of the squad entirely.

3. Our second row have not lost a line-out the entire tournament. I mean that literally. Big POC being out is a hammer blow and most Scots fans sympathise.

4. The battle of the back rows will of course determine who wins. The three Biff Merchants versus the Three Poachers. Will be fascinating. When is Heaslip going to actually show up?

5. The backs? Who on earth knows. Sexton and Bowe obviously have us pooing ourselves and it's pointless kicking anything to Kearney. That said, looks like we can actually score tries these days.

Best of luck to both teams.

George Carlin wrote:
What's the feeling amongst Irish fans about this one?

My feeling is that this could go either way. Given Irelands 6 day turnaround the Scots have a great chance of getting the win here. They will be fresher and hungry for a win. Scotland have played well in the past two games and their backrow and Gray could run a tired Irish side of their feet.

Without O'Connell our set piece is a lot less potent and the Scots could get the edge there too.

Ireland have been pretty uninspiring this season apart from some Kearney magic, Bowes deadly finishing and barnestorming performances from Ferris and O'Connell. Everything else has been pretty predictable.

With no prospect of winning silverware I think we may struggle in these last two games and I fancy the younger,fresher and (in attack) more enthusiastic Scottish side to give us all sorts of trouble.

Hopefully an Ireland win but a Scottish victory wouldn't surprise me at all.

Agreed no POC, possibly no Best.
The lineout could be a real cause for concern and the Scottish backrow could cause us problems at the breakdown.

DOC and D'Arcy seemed immuned, inspite of better players being available.

Ireland are vulnerable in my opinion

To win the six nations I feel you need to rotate a touch more than Fr. Kidney is willing to do. I reckon that was our downfall at the WC too.

Good to see Reddan start, he should have been first choice from the beginning even if Murray is decent.

George Carlin wrote:You really need best to play and play well because he's been the form hooker over the past three months.

What's the feeling amongst Irish fans about this one?

George - you are right that we need Best given that POC is out. In other circumstances I wouldn't feel as worried, Cronin has improved imeasurably and is a more than able deputy if needs be but I would be worried now that POC is out.

I'm worried about this game tbh. The Scottish pack have been very good. Although the Scottish scrum may have underperformed somewhat in their previous outings, their forward play on the whole has been impressive. Rennie and Denton are two of the players of the tournament so far. Ritchie Gray for me has also been outstanding. Their lineout is one of the best in the business and they are very good at the breakdown so the Scots will get plenty of ball.

Recently the Scots having plenty of ball was not something to worry about but the introduction of Laidlaw at OH gives the backs a bit more creativity. The arrival of Hogg seems to have given everyone that little bit of a lift and if rest of the Scottish backs can support his breaks then they will be dangerous, I have only seen Hogg a handful of times but he does look the real deal.

The way I look at it the Scots have very little to lose. That always makes them dangerous.

I see nobody gives two hoots about the irish announcements anymore.

Team is as above.

boring. i can see it now

rog scrapes ireland home v scotland.

england comfortably defeat jaded ireland. paddys day paddy massacre.

what will we learn from this 6 nations
- we need a backs coach
- we may well need a new head coach
- we are not very good

bout it really.

Come on lads. Ireland just drew with France in Paris. Thats no mean feat. Deccie got the tactics bang on in the first half but i have no idea what the second half tactics were but Ireland still go the draw.

Scotland at home should be a good match, Scotland are playing a very dynamic and attacting style of rugby that may suit Ireland. Should be a great game and Ireland should have a little too much.

Come on lads, BELIEVE

I think for the first time this season that Ireland are at the right point, in the right mood, and actually mentally bolstered now by all the mishaps that have befallen them, to really be in a mood to punish the next team they face. That side happens to be Scotland. I have a feeling it will be a game with furious intensity from the Irish.

Scotland come hungry for a win, and dangerous because of it. But let's not forget that the draw against France was seen as pretty much a full blown loss by the Irish players. So they're not happy either.

I will be pleasantly surprised by a good performance against Scotland. Our defense against France was good. Our attack was very very poor.

Standulstermen wrote:I will be pleasantly surprised by a good performance against Scotland. Our defense against France was good. Our attack was very very poor.

But also, France were a completely different beast to the one that played Scotland. Coach said it himself, the best France have played this season. On their home turf.................. 'should have won it', coming from the lips of all their players. But they didn't.

I just sense Ireland are fed up of all the hassles of coaches missing, players now injured and shoddy results. I sense belligerence in the camp. Now, if you equate present belligerence and mental involvment in this campaign - finally - with what passed for interest in the first yawning display against Wales, then I think you can plot a real graph that is going up in intensity rather than settling down.