Rory Sutherland has been selected ahead of Pierre Schoeman to start at loosehead for Scotland in one of three changes to their starting XV for Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations clash with Ireland at Murrayfield.
The 32-year-old Glasgow forward, who has 38 caps to his name, comes in for only his seventh start since representing the British and Irish Lions in the summer tour of 2021. Schoeman, Scotland’s first-choice loosehead since his debut in 2021, is on the bench.
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Versatile Glasgow back Tom Jordan, who replaces Stafford McDowall at centre, and Jack Dempsey, who starts at number eight with Jamie Ritchie dropping to the bench, are the other two additions to Gregor Townsend’s starting line-up.
Lock Sam Skinner, a recent addition to the squad, is named on the bench, while scrumhalf Jamie Dobie is also among the subs, with Townsend opting for a 6-2 split.
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Scotland team to play Ireland: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Tom Jordan, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell (co-capt), Ben White; Rory Sutherland, Dave Cherry, Zander Fagerson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge (co-captain), Jack Dempsey. Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Pierre Schoeman, Will Hurd, Sam Skinner, Gregor Brown, Jamie Ritchie, Jamie Dobie, Stafford McDowall
