Scotland v Ireland: Teams
Ross Rennie has been named in Scotland's starting XV to face Ireland in Saturday's World Cup warm-up clash.
Last Updated: 07/08/11 9:26am
Ross Rennie has been named in Scotland's starting XV to face Ireland in Saturday's World Cup warm-up clash.
Rennie has set to make his first start at openside flanker at Murrayfield, in a team showing five changes in personnel and one positional switch from the XV which beat Italy in the Scots' final Six Nations game in March.
Johnnie Beattie starts at number eight and Alasdair Strokosch completes an all-changed back row by coming in at blindside flanker. Jim Hamilton gets the nod at lock.
In the backs, Graeme Morrison returns at inside centre, with Sean Lamont moving to wing and Simon Danielli dropping out of the 22 altogether.
Rory Lawson will captain the team, with Alastair Kellock, Scotland's skipper during the Six Nations, only among the replacements.
Two uncapped players have been named on the bench - 21-year-old Edinburgh back-row forward David Denton and 23-year-old Bath full-back Jack Cuthbert.
Meanwhile, Leinster full-back Rob Kearney will return to the Ireland side in what will be his first appearance since last autumn's international against New Zealand, when he sustained a knee injury.
Scrum-half Tomas O'Leary is also back in the starting line-up after being ruled out since February with an eye problem.
First choice
He joins Leinster's Jonathan Sexton at half-back in what is likely to be Ireland's first choice combination for the World Cup.
Jerry Flannery's long battle with a calf injury looks over after the Munster hooker was named on the bench.
All three are desperately short of match practice ahead of the World Cup but will step out in an otherwise under-strength side led by Leo Cullen.
None of the pack are likely to start the World Cup opener against the USA on September 11, but Cullen, Denis Leamy and Tony Buckley supply experience.
However, the bench contains vast experience with Flannery, Marcus Horan, John Hayes and Mick O'Driscoll all veterans.
With fitness doubts over Gordon D'Arcy and to a lesser extent Brian O'Driscoll, Leinster rookie Fergus McFadden is the given the nod at outside centre.
Scotland: 15 C Paterson, 14 N Walker, 13 J Ansbro, 12 G Morrison, 11 S Lamont, 10 R Jackson, 9 R Lawson, 8 J Beattie, 7 R Rennie, 6 A Strokosch, 5 R Gray, 4 J Hamilton, 3 G Cross, 2 R Ford, 1 A Jacobsen.
Replacements: 16 D Hall, 17 A Dickinson, 18 A Kellock, 19 D Denton, 20 G Laidlaw, 21 N De Luca, 22 J Cuthbert.
Ireland: 15 R Kearney, 14 A Trimble, 13 F McFadden, 12 P Wallace, 11 L Fitzgerald, 10 J Sexton, 9 T O'Leary, 1 T Court, 2 S Cronin, 3 T Buckley, 4 D Ryan, 5 L Cullen, 6 M McCarthy, 7 N Ronan, 8 D Leamy.
Replacements: 16 J Flannery, 17 M Horan, 18 J Hayes, 19 M O'Driscoll, 20 K McLaughlin, 21 I Boss, 22 F Jones.
