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Andy Farrell makes three changes for title-chasing Ireland
By Liam Heagney
Title-chasing Andy Farrell has made three changes to his Ireland team to face Scotland this Saturday in Dublin following last weekend’s 32-15 Guinness Six Nations round four win away to England. A win over the Scots will guarantee the Irish the Tripe Crown and lift them ahead of France before that night’s closing match in the tournament, the meeting of the Grand Slam-chasing French and the wounded English in Paris.
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There was always definitely going to be one change to this Ireland Six Nations team to face the Scots as James Ryan was lost to a concussion just over a minute into the win over England after he was clattered by the red-carded Charlie Ewels. Iain Henderson, who came off the bench at Twickenham to play 78 minutes as an early sub, will now start in Ryan’s place.
However, Farrell has decided to make two other changes to his Ireland XV. He has opted to include Mack Hansen on the right wing as Andrew Conway, who was most impressive versus England, was managed this week with a knee niggle.
The third change is in the back row where Peter O’Mahony, who wore the No6 jersey for the round four game in England after getting the shirt in the previous round against Italy, has been pushed down to the bench with Jack Conan, a try-scorer in London, chosen to start.
This inclusion of Conan at No8 sees Caelan Doris revert to six, the position where he started the championship. O’Mahony’s demotion to the bench is one of two changes to the replacements as Kieran Treadwell is chosen as the sub second row following Henderson’s promotion into the starting XV.
IRELAND (vs Scotland, Saturday)
15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 19 caps
14. Mack Hansen (Connacht) 3 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 41 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 36 caps
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 11 caps
10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 104 caps CAPTAIN
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster) 16 caps
1. Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 115 caps
2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 6 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 56 caps
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 29 caps
5. Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 67 caps
6. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 16 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 39 caps
8. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 26 caps
Replacements
16. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 25 caps
17. Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 47 caps
18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 22 caps
19. Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 4 caps
20. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 83 caps
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 95 caps
22. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 31 caps
23. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 56 caps
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Nothing wrong with Conan replacing O'Mahony. Keeping the pack dynamic with a Trump card on the bench for the last 20mins if needed.
Henderson? Seriously! After last weeks performance. Not that beirne covered himself in glory but Henderson was worse than pathetic and the penalties he gave away were junior B standard