Could we see some new faces against the Scots?
With front-liners Tadhg Furlong and Joe McCarthy still absent for Sunday’s Six Nations clash with Scotland (kick-off: 3pm), decisions for the match-day 23 have become clearer.
Mack Hansen has also been confirmed fit, as has tight head Finlay Bealham, which rules out an unlikely debut for Connacht’s Jack Aungier.
Last Saturday’s win over England saw Ireland pull away after the bench was unloaded, with Dan Sheehan, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, and Robbie Henshaw having a significant impact.
The pertaining, burning question is do you bring these men into the starting line up, or is it unwise to change what is a winning formula (so far….)?
Sheehan, in particular, was awesome in his first Ireland game since returning from a lengthy lay-off. Given that he came on so early for Rónan Kelleher – 48 minutes – we would leave him as is, and possibly bring him on at half time.
While Ryan Baird did not have the impact he would have hoped for at blindside flanker, he showed glimpses (below) of his effectiveness in the wide channels, and, along with Kelleher, was part of a solid set-piece.
Jack Crowley won the weekend’s battle with starter Sam Prendergast, in their ongoing war for the coveted No 10 jersey. The Munster out-half kicked far better than his Leinster counterpart, both out of hand and from the tee.
But will the 21-year-old have two bad kicking weeks in a row?
When laid out like this, keeping the same starting XV is the right move.
However, we reckon there is scope for change on the subs bench.
One of the most in-form players in Ireland, Tom Ahern, has been drafted into the overall squad. And with McCarthy’s absence and Iain Henderson lacking the impact he once had, the Munster lock/blindside making his debut might not be out of the question.
He would have to usurp the next-in-line Cormac Izuchukwu, but as we saw in Novermber with Gus McCarthy, impressing in training can shift you up the queue.
The other bench change, while a more established option, is less likely than Ahern featuring.
Although Henshaw remains in excellent form, the impact Jamie Osborne brought off the bench against Argentina in November was eye catching. The utility back also covers more positions, offers more pace, and is a better passing option.
SportsJOE’s Ireland 23 vs Scotland:
- Andrew Porter
- Rónan Kelleher
- Finlay Bealham
- Tadhg Beirne
- James Ryan
- Ryan Baird
- Josh van der Flier
- Caelan Doris
- Jamison Gibson-Park
- Sam Prendergast
- James Lowe
- Bundee Aki
- Garry Ringrose
- Mack Hansen
- Hugo Keenan
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Tom Clarkson, Tom Ahern, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Jamie Osborne.
