Here are the teams for the World Cup warm-up match between Scotland and Ireland at: Murrayfield on Saturday 6 August with Kick-off: 1415 BST and Live on BBC2.
Scrum-half Rory Lawson will captain Scotland on Saturday. Ross Rennie makes his first international start at openside flanker, with Alasdair Strokosch and Johnnie Beattie completing the back row. There is also a new-look partnership at centre, with Joe Ansbro pairing up with Graeme Morrison. Jim Hamilton will start at second row and Sean Lamont is back on the wing.
Head coach Andy Robinson said: (quote) In any international match there is always a huge amount at stake, but the EMC Tests take on extra significance this year as we hone our preparations for the start of the world’s third biggest sporting event. I am a firm believer that competition brings the best out in players and I’ve said to the squad that it lies in their hands to make the case for their inclusion in the final 30 for New Zealand. (end quote)
Connacht flanker Mike McCarthy will make his Ireland debut in Saturday’s World Cup warm-up game against Scotland at Murrayfield.
Whilst Munster’s Felix Jones is almost certain to make his first appearance after being named on the bench.
Full-back Rob Kearney gets his first start since November after recovering from a knee injury and Munster scrum-half Tomas O’Leary also returns after missing the end of last season through injury. He will resume his half-back partnership with Jonathan Sexton in what is likely to be Ireland’s first-choice combination for the World Cup.
Paul McNaughton Ireland manager siad of the Irish injured players: (quote) Gordon and Stephen face a race against time but are making progress. Brian has been doing 80% of the work over the last two weeks. I am not too concerned about him. He has a problem with his shoulder/neck and has been having some traction on it. He is doing everything except contact this week, but is unlikely to play in the first two games. (end quote) Flanker Stephen Ferris and centre Gordon D’Arcy are Ireland’s two major injury concerns ahead of the World Cup and both will miss the Scotland clash and probably also sit out the 13 August game against France.
Teams
Scotland: C Paterson (Edinburgh); N Walker (Ospreys), J Ansbro (London Irish), G Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), S Lamont (Scarlets); R Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), R Lawson (Gloucester); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), G Cross (Edinburgh), J Hamilton (Gloucester), R Gray (Glasgow Warriors), A Strokosch (Gloucester), J Beattie (Glasgow Warriors), R Rennie (Edinburgh).
Replacements: D Hall (Glasgow Warriors), A Dickinson (Sale Sharks), A Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), D Denton (Edinburgh), G Laidlaw (Edinburgh), N De Luca (Edinburgh), J Cuthbert (Bath).
Ireland: R Kearney (Leinster); A Trimble (Ulster), F McFadden (Leinster), P Wallace (Ulster), L Fitzgerald (Leinster); J Sexton (Leinster), T O’Leary (Munster); T Court (Ulster), S Cronin (Leinster), T Buckley (Sale), D Ryan (Munster), L Cullen (Leinster, capt), M McCarthy (Connacht), N Ronan (Munster), D Leamy (Munster).
Replacements: J Flannery (Munster), M Horan (Munster), J Hayes (Munster), M O’Driscoll (Munster), K McLaughlin (Leinster), I Boss (Leinster), F Jones (Munster).