Here are the teams for the RBS Six Nations match: Scotland v Ireland at Murrayfield on Sunday 27 February, with kick-off: 1500 GMT and live coverage on BBC One.
Andy Robinson has dropped four players for Sunday’s match against Ireland. Dan Parks is replaced at stand-off by Ruaridh Jackson, who will make his first start as he wins his fourth cap. Whilst scrum-half Rory Lawson, lock Nathan Hines and number eight Richie Vernon also leave the starting XV. Those in are: Full-back Chris Paterson, centre Sean Lamont, scrum-half Mike Blair, prop Moray Low, lock Richie Gray and number eight Johnnie Beattie. Lawson, Hines, Vernon and Parks all drop to the bench, while tight-head prop Euan Murray is unavailable as he refuses to play on Sundays because of religious reasons.
Northampton centre Joe Ansbro and full-back Hugo Southwell, who started the Wales game, are injured as is Toulon full-back Rory Lamont.
Andy Robinson said (quote) We have made changes with a view to securing our first win of the competition and giving our supporters the lift that they deserve. We know that Ireland will bring their own distinct physicality and guile to Murrayfield on Sunday and it is up to our squad to front up to that challenge. We must play with belief and eliminate the mistakes which have bedevilled us in our opening two games and we must produce a performance that restores the pride in all Scotland supporters. (end quote)
There are three changes to the starting XV for the Ireland team to play Scotland in. Tommy Bowe has recovered from the knee injury that ruled him out of the first two games and is named on the right wing in place of Fergus McFadden. Ronan O’Gara comes into the team to win his 106th cap and Jonathan Sexton moves to the replacements. Tomas O’Leary has been ruled out due to a back injury, so Eoin Reddan comes into the team to start and Peter Stringer is named on the bench.
Teams
Scotland: Chris Paterson (Edinburgh); Nikki Walker (Ospreys), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Sean Lamont (Scarlets), Max Evans (Glasgow Warriors); Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Mike Blair (Edinburgh); Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens), John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), Johnnie Beattie (Glasgow Warriors).
Replacements: Scott Lawson (Gloucester), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Nathan Hines (Leinster), Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues), Simon Danielli (Ulster).
Ireland: 15.Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster), 14.Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), 13.Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt), 12.Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), 11. Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster), 10.Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), 9. Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), 1. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), 2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster),
3. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), 4. Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), 5. Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster), 6. Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster), 7. David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster), 8. Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster).
Replacements:16. Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht), 17. Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), 18. Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster), 19. Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster), 20. Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster), 21. Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), 22. Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)