Six Nations: Ryan ruled out as Farrell makes four Ireland changes for Scotland clash

Left wing James Lowe, loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman and lock James Ryan are all injured but hooker Dan Sheehan, lock Joe McCarthy and openside flanker Josh van der Flier all return to the forward pack to face a Scotland side also vying for silverware on the final day of the 2026 championship.

Ronan Kelleher drops to the bench, as does Nick Timoney to make way for the recalled players. Tadhg Beirne had been expected to revert to blindside flanker to accommodate McCarthy’s return, but Ryan’s calf injury this week has seen Beirne remain in the engine room. Jack Conan, who missed Twickenham through illness, remains in the number six jersey alongside van der Flier and captain and No.8 Caelan Doris.

Tommy O’Brien, who also impressed at Twickenham having replaced Lowe in the 18th minute before combining to scintillating effect with fellow wing and man of the match Rob Baloucoune, is also recalled to start on the left wing at Jacob Stockdale’s expense, while Tom O’Toole continues at loosehead prop having made his first Six Nations start there last time out.

Ryan’s injury has also paved the way for a potential championship debut off the bench for Connacht lock Darragh Murray, while provincial team-mate Finlay Bealham is preferred to Thomas Clarkson as tighthead prop cover and Bundee Aki comes onto the replacements for his first inclusion of 2026 as outside backs replacement. Aki missed the first three matches through suspension but was not included last weekend as Tom Farrell appeared from the bench.

Earlier on Thursday, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend made three changes to his line-up from the XV which started the impressive 50-40 victory over France at Murrayfield last Saturday.

Injuries have forced Townsend to name a new second row with last weekend’s starters Gregor Brown and Scott Cummings ruled out, their places going to Max Williamson and the experienced Grant Gilchrist, set to win an 88th cap and become Scotland’s most capped lock.

Zander Fagerson is promoted from the bench to start at tighthead prop for the other change, leaving an unchanged back row and backline from the side which dismantled French dreams of Grand Slam. That means another start on the wings for double try scorers Darcy Graham and Kyle Steyn, last Saturday’s player of the match who has recovered from the gashed knee which cut short his afternoon. 

Graham and Steyn form a back three with Blair Kinghorn, while in front of them there are settled combinations with captain Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones in midfield and Ben White and Finn Russell forming the half-back partnership, all playing their fifth consecutive matches.

IRELAND: Jamie Osborne (Leinster); Rob Baloucoune (Ulster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Tommy O’Brien (Leinster); Jack Crowley (Munster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster); Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Munster); Jack Conan (Leinster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), C Doris (Leinster) - captain.

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), Michael Milne (Munster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Darragh Murray (Connacht), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Craig Casey (Munster), Ciaran Frawley (Leinster), Bundee Aki (Connacht).

SCOTLAND: Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse); Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Huw Jones (Glasgow), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) – captain, Kyle Steyn (Glasgow); Finn Russell (Bath), Ben White (Toulon); Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), George Turner (Harlequins), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) Max Williamson (Glasgow), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh); M Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), R Darge (Glasgow), J Dempsey (Glasgow).

Replacements: E Ashman (Edinburgh), R Sutherland (Glasgow), D Rae (Edinburgh), A Craig (Glasgow), M Bradbury (Edinburgh), G Horne (Glasgow), K Rowe (Glasgow), T Jordan (Bristol).