Scotland have made four changes to their starting XV and a further positional switch in their team to open the 2014 RBS 6 Nations Championship away to Ireland on Sunday.
British & Irish Lion Stuart Hogg returns at full-back having missed the Autumn Tests through injury, while other alterations from the team that lined-up against Australia see Alex Dunbar preferred to Nick De Luca in the centre; Tim Swinson win the nod over Grant Gilchrist in the second-row; and a fourth Glasgow Warrior, Ryan Wilson, chosen at blindside flanker instead of Johnnie Beattie.
For Dunbar, Swinson and Wilson it is their first RBS 6 Nations start and the same goes for Duncan Taylor at inside centre who continues as Matt Scott’s replacement while the undoubtedly prefferred choice at 12 sits on the bench hoping to play his way to form and fitness. Sean Maitland, who scored on his first outing in the Championship in the opening game last season, moves to the wing to accommodate Hogg in the 15 jersey having failed to set the heather on fire in the autumn as much as he did this time last year.
Scotland will be captained by Kelly Brown, who will be winning his 61st cap, thus equalling Doddie Weir’s record as the most-capped product of the Melrose club. He’s still played out of position as is Glasgow Number 8 Ryan Wilson, who may be a controversial inclusion for some given either his recent legal troubles or the fact that many would prefer to see Brown, Strokosch or possibly Harley in the 6 shirt…
Head coach Scott Johnson acknowledged that it had been a tough selection. “The forwards especially were a hard pick but we’re happy. We believe we’ve got a good combination to go in against formidable opposition,” he told scottishrugby.org.
Johnson reflected that Scotland’s back-row selection increased their lineout options and hailed the inclusion of 24-year-old Wilson, for the additional athleticism he can bring.
In the engine-room, the head coach is savouring the chance to reunite Swinson with Jim Hamilton. The pair made a considerable impact in Scotland’s Test against South Africa in Nelspruit last summer and injury to Swinson deprived them of rekindling that partnership in the autumn.
The front row will surely be a worry with the Irish pack in fine form and Scotland hoping Grant and Ford can find a little sparkle from somewhere, given referee’s fondness for penalising the team they assume is inferior. That’s us, by the way.
Some reassurance may come in the form of a strong and experienced bench including the aforementioned Scott as well as Johnnie Beattie, Richie Gray and Chris Cusiter.
Johnson will be acutely aware that Scotland have not won their first game in the Championship since France were defeated at Murrayfield in 2006 and believes this selection can end that sequence and get us off to a flyer.
Scotland team to play Ireland at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin on Sunday 2 February in the RBS 6 Nations Championship, kick-off 3pm :
15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) 15 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
14 Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors) 8 caps, 1 try, 5 points
13 Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) 3 caps, 1 try, 5 points
12 Duncan Taylor (Saracens) 6 caps
11 Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors) 82 caps, 12 tries, 60 points
10 Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors) 8 caps, 1 try, 2 conversions, 9 points
9 Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby) 24 caps, 3 tries, 23 conversions, 54 penalties, 223 points
1 Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors) 13 caps
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) 71 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
3 Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors) 23 caps
4 Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) 3 caps
5 Jim Hamilton (Montpellier) 50 caps, 1 try, 5 points
6 Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) 4 caps
7 Kelly Brown (Saracens) CAPTAIN 60 caps, 4 tries, 20 points
8 David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby) 17 caps
Substitutes
16 Pat MacArthur (Glasgow Warriors) 3 caps
17 Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby) 30 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
18 Geoff Cross (Edinburgh Rugby) 23 caps, 1 try, 5 points
19 Richie Gray (Castres) 33 caps, 1 try, 5 points
20 Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier) 26 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
21 Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors) 64 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
22 Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby) 16 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
23 Max Evans (Castres) 37 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa). Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa) and Mike Fraser (New Zealand). TMO: Carlo Damasco (Italy)