SCOTLAND coach Bryan Easson has chosen an unchanged starting line-up for his team’s game against Ireland tomorrow[Sat], their last fixture in this year’s TikTok Six Nations.
The Scots have lost all four of their matches so far in the Championship, with a defeat by Italy last week being their latest. But they beat Ireland in a World Cup qualifier earlier this season, and Easson believes that the composure they showed then could be the crucial quality that will be required to win in Belfast and get off the foot of the table.
“I think it’s a role model for how we need to move on,” the coach said about that match in Parma, in which the winning try came at the end of a 24-phase move. “I think it’s just having that patience.
“And I thought we tried to force the issue a little bit last week. There was a recipe for success in September and there’s no reason why we have to move away from that.”
While opting for the same starting 15, Easson has made three changes to his bench for the game at the Kingspan Stadium. Mairi McDonald returns as back-up scrum-half in place of Jenny Maxwell, who injured a knee against Italy and looks set to be sidelined for the rest of the season if not longer. Back-row forward Eva Donaldson has been chosen instead of Anne Young, and centre Emma Orr is back in the 23 instead of Hannah Smith.
Ireland coach Greg McWilliams has made three changes to the team that began last week's 69-0 defeat by England. Vicky Irwin will make her debut at full-back, second-row Sam Monaghan returns from injury, and Nikki Caughey is at stand-off. Ireland’s only win so far has come against Italy.
Scotland (v Ireland at the Kingspan Stadium, Saturday 8pm): C Rollie; R Lloyd, L Thomson, H Nelson, S Campbell; S Law, C Mattinson; M Wright, L Skeldon, C Belisle, E Wassell, S Bonar, R Malcolm (captain), R McLachlan, E Gallagher. Substitutes: J Rettie, L Bartlett, K Dougan, L McMillan, E Donaldson, M McDonald, E Orr, M Gaffney.
Ireland: V Irwin; A Doyle, S Naoupu, E Breen, M Scuffil-McCabe; N Caughey, K Dane; L Djougang, N Jones, C Haney, N Fryday (captain), S Monaghan, D Wall, E McMahon, H O'Connor. Substitutes: E Hooban, C Pearse, K O'Dwyer, A McDermott, G Moore, M Og O'Leary, A Hughes, M Claffey.
