There are three changes to the side from the team’s last outing and all of those changes are in the backline. Tommy Bowe has recovered from his knee injury that ruled him out of the first two games of the championship and is named on the right wing in place of Fergus McFadden.

There is a change at out half with Ronan O’Gara coming into the team to win his 106th cap for Ireland and Jonathan Sexton moving to the replacements. Tomas O’Leary has been ruled out due to a back injury, so Eoin Reddan comes into the team to start and Peter Stringer is named on the bench.

Donncha O’Callaghan is named in the second row where he will win his 70th cap for Ireland while Brian O’Driscoll will captain the team for the 73rd time.

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Scotland, 2011 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Murrayfield, Sunday, February 27, kick-off 3.00pm):

15 - Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)
10 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
9 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:
16 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 - Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
21 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
22 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
 

For further information contact:
Karl Richardson
IRFU Communications & Media Manager
M: +353 (0) 866477874
E: karl.richardson@irfu.ie