O'Gara recalled by Ireland

Ronan O'Gara has been recalled to the Ireland starting XV for Sunday's RBS Six Nations clash with Scotland at Murrayfield.

Sexton relegated to replacements' bench

Veteran Munster fly-half Ronan O'Gara has been recalled to the Ireland starting XV for Sunday's RBS Six Nations clash with Scotland at Murrayfield. Leinster's Jonathan Sexton - who started in the defeat to France in Dublin - is relegated to the bench. O'Gara replaced his younger rival after 63 minutes of the 25-22 defeat by France and almost sparked a successful Irish comeback. The 33-year-old will win his 106th cap in his first start since facing Samoa in November. While Sexton has done little wrong, Ireland will be hoping O'Gara's return inspires confidence in a side that has been error-prone so far during the Six Nations. A new half-back combination is completed by the return of Eoin Reddan, who starts after Tomas O'Leary was ruled out with a back injury. Peter Stringer is included on the bench.

Three changes

In total there are three changes to the side beaten by France at Aviva Stadium last time out, with Tommy Bowe the last of the new arrivals. Bowe is restored to the right wing after recovering from the knee injury that forced him to miss the first two matches of the championship. The 27-year-old Ospreys winger played a full 80 minutes against Treviso last weekend and has been passed fit to face the Scots. Fergus McFadden, a try-scorer against France, drops out of the squad altogether with Paddy Wallace preferred on the bench. "Tommy came through well for the Ospreys and there have been no restrictions on him in training," said head coach Declan Kidney. Ireland: L Fitzgerald (Leinster); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster); R O'Gara (Munster), E Reddan (Leinster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), M Ross (Leinster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), S O'Brien (Leinster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster).
Replacements: S Cronin (Connacht), T Court (Ulster), L Cullen (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), P Stringer (Munster), J Sexton (Leinster), P Wallace (Ulster).