Team News: Scotland team to play Ireland

Scotland have made four changes to the starting line-up for this Saturday’s second-round Guinness Six Nations clash with Ireland at BT Murrayfield Stadium (kick-off 2.15pm) – live on BBC.

Head Coach Gregor Townsend has welcomed the added experience of last year’s top try-scoring Saracens wing, Sean Maitland, who has recovered from a hamstring injury to start in place of last weekend’s hat-trick try-scorer Blair Kinghorn, who moves to the bench.

Maitland will form a familiar back-three with fellow British & Irish Lions Tommy Seymour and full-back Stuart Hogg, who will bring a combined 150 caps and 49 tries into their 18th Scotland Test start as a trio this Saturday.

The remaining changes come in the pack, where prop Simon Berghan and back-row Josh Strauss start in place of injured forwards Willem Nel (calf) and Sam Skinner (ankle), while Jonny Gray’s recovery from a shoulder injury sees him replace second-row Ben Toolis, who moves to the bench.

The bench sees four further changes, where uncapped prop D’arcy Rae takes the replacement spot vacated by Berghan, experienced Glasgow Warriors pair Fraser Brown (hooker) and Pete Horne (centre) return from injury to feature for the first time in the campaign, and fellow Warrior Rob Harley is drafted in from outwith the wider squad into the match-day 23.

Scotland team to play Ireland in the Guinness Six Nations

Saturday 9 February, kick-off 2.15pm – live on BBC

15. Stuart Hogg VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 66 caps

14. Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 47 caps
13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps
12. Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap
11. Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 37 caps

10. Finn Russell (Racing 92) – 41 caps
9. Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Clermont Auvergne) – 67 caps

1. Allan Dell (Edinburgh) – 18 caps
2. Stuart McInally VICE CAPTAIN (Edinburgh) – 23 caps
3. Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 15 caps
4. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 29 caps
5. Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 47 caps
6. Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) – 42 caps
7. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – 7 caps
8. Josh Strauss (Sale Sharks) – 18 caps

Substitutes
16. Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 38 caps
17. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) – 12 caps
18. D’arcy Rae (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
19. Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) – 15 caps
20. Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps
21. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps
22. Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 38 caps
23. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 8 caps

Squad players unavailable through injury: George Horne (shoulder), Lee Jones (knee), John Hardie (knee), Willem Nel (calf), Sam Skinner (ankle).