As speculation had suggested, Declan Kidney has selected Paddy Jackson at out-half in the Irish team to play Scotland instead of Ronan O’Gara in what is one of his biggest calls in his time as Irish coach.
The rumour mill cranked into gear late last night with suggestions that Kidney was going to throw caution to the wind and hand Jackson his first Six Nations start ahead of O’Gara, who has won 127 caps in 13 years with Ireland.
With Kidney’s hand forced somewhat by a spate of injuries in the Irish camp, reports about the selection of Luke Marshall alongside Brian O’Driscoll in the centre were also on the money, as was the shout for Tom Court ahead of Dave Kilcoyne in place of the suspended Cian Healy in the front row.
The team shows five changes in total to the side that started against England, with Marshall, Keith Earls, Jackson, Donncha O’Callaghan and Court coming in instead of Simon Zebo, Jonathan Sexton, Gordon D’Arcy, Mike McCarthy and Cian Healy, all of whom bar Healy are in the queue for a busy Irish treatment room at present.
Kidney is certainly under a fair bit of pressure after a decidedly disappointing showing against England and he has responded with possibly the boldest selection in his time as Irish coach.
Fingers crossed, the gamble will pay off.
Ireland take on Scotland in Murrayfield on Sunday at 2pm.
Ireland team to play Scotland: Rob Kearney; Craig Gilroy, Brian O’Driscoll, Luke Marshall, Keith Earls; Paddy Jackson, Conor Murray; Tom Court, Rory Best, Mike Ross, Donncha O’Callaghan, Donnacha Ryan, Peter O’Mahony, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip (captain).
Replacements: Dave Kilcoyne, Sean Cronin, Declan Fitzpatrick, Devin Toner, Iain Henderson, Eoin Reddan, Ronan O’Gara, Luke Fitzgerald.
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