Andy Farrell is expected to largely revert to the team which pitched up in Twickenham for Ireland’s record-breaking 42-21 win in round three when the side to face Scotland in Saturday’s eagerly awaited Triple Crown shoot-out is announced around 2pm on Thursday.
Two players from that starting XV are sidelined, namely James Lowe, who suffered a torn groin in that game, and Jeremy Loughman, who was also ruled out of last week’s 27-17 win over Wales. The indications are that Tommy O’Brien, who made such a good impression as Lowe’s replacement for the last hour in Twickenham, will be restored to the team on the left wing in place of Jacob Stockdale. The Ulster winger scored Ireland’s opening try against Wales and gave the try-scoring pass for the bonus-point try which was finished by Jamie Osborne.
O’Brien and Robert Baloucoune worked in tandem impressively against England, the former coming across from his wing to link with the latter in the build-up to Ireland’s first try by Jamison Gibson-Park.
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Operating in harness much like the French wingers do, they combined again when Baloucoune came across from his wing and freed O’Brien for his try with a lovely dummy to beat Tommy Freeman before drawing the last man and giving a well-timed pass.
The pair also combined to deny Freeman a try in the second half when Baloucoune came across from his wing to help O’Brien in tackling Freeman into touch. Farrell and his coaching team evidently liked the way these two pacy wingers worked together on the edges in both attack and defence.
With Loughman still sidelined, Tom O’Toole is expected to continue at loosehead, where his scrummaging and strong all-round play impressed on a first Test start in the absence of four Irish looseheads.
Dan Sheehan was rested for the win over Wales, with Rónan Kelleher starting and Tom Stewart afforded his Six Nations debut off the bench. But the expectation was always that Sheehan, who has a phenomenal try-scoring strike rate in the Six Nations, would return.
Likewise, it seems probable that Joe McCarthy and Josh van der Flier will be restored to the starting pack at lock and openside after being employed off the bench against Wales, with Tadhg Beirne reverting to blindside flanker.
Ireland’s Joe McCarthy makes a run during the game against England at Twickenham. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho
This would mean Ireland starting the same pack as was the case against England, save for O’Toole in place of Loughman, as well as the same backline bar O’Brien in place of Lowe. Hence, despite Jack Conan’s try-scoring, man-of-the-match display against Wales, this may also result in him reverting to a place among the replacements, which is where he had been selected against England until illness forced him to withdraw on the day of the game.
Kelleher and Nick Timoney will likely also revert to a place among the replacements, as was the case in Ireland’s opening three games against France, Italy and England. It will be interesting to see whether Craig Casey is restored to the bench, where he was also used in those opening three games, or whether Nathan Doak will be picked as back-up scrumhalf again.
Casey has been Ireland’s go-to understudy to Gibson-Park for the last few seasons before being chosen to start his third Six Nations game in round two against Italy – also his opponents for his previous two starts in the competition. The odds are that he will be restored but the Irish management might also see this as a chance to further delve into Ireland’s depth at scrumhalf.
Doak made an assured Test debut last week against Wales, first as a temporary replacement in the opening half for about 11 minutes when Gibson-Park was off the pitch, and again in the endgame. The Ulster scrumhalf has another string to his bow in that he is also an accomplished goalkicker.
The odds are that Farrell and Co will continue with a 5-3 split on the bench, unlike the 6-2 configuration for the first two matches, in which case strong consideration will have been given to restoring Bundee Aki to a matchday squad for the first time since he started against South Africa last November.
The talismanic Connacht centre, such a popular figure among Irish supporters, was ruled out of Ireland’s first three games due to suspension but after returning for his province off the bench in their win over Glasgow has now been training with the squad for the last two weeks.
IRELAND (possible v Scotland): J Osborne; R Baloucoune, G Ringrose, S McCloskey, T O’Brien; J Crowley, J Gibson-Park; T O’Toole, D Sheehan, T Furlong; J McCarthy, J Ryan; T Beirne, J van der Flier, C Doris (capt).
Replacements: R Kelleher, M Milne, T Clarkson, J Conan, N Timoney, C Casey/N Doak, C Frawley, B Aki.
