Unfinished business motivating Lineen

SCOTLAND A coach Sean Lineen has a bit of unfinished business to settle with the Irish Wolfhounds in tonight’s A international at Ravenhill (7.30pm).

Last year Scotland went through an A programme undefeated until they came up against Ireland, and Lineen says the Scots still feel aggrieved at the loss.

Clearly determined to start off the season on the right note, Lineen has been party to the selection of Mike Blair as captain and Euan Murray at tight head prop to give the visiting side an edge in terms of British and Irish Lions experience.

The Scottish team features five uncapped players too which gives credence to their view it is, essentially, a developmental team. However, it has a strong look of experience about it too when one sees the names of Nikki Walker, Ben Cairns, Nick De Luca, Scott MacLeod and Simon Danielli featured.

Chris Henry comes into the Irish team who play under the name of the Irish Wolfhounds for the first time, and Henry will, along with Darren Cave, Ian Humphreys, Ryan Caldwell and Dan Tuohy be doing their best to ensure Ulster team colleague Danielli won’t have bragging rights in Belfast tomorrow.

Henry leads the Irish as other players who featured in last week’s narrow defeat to the English Saxons in Bath have moved into the senior squad for tomorrow’s RBS Six Nations opener against Italy.

The Wolfhounds team shows seven personnel changes overall to the starting side from that Saxons game, which means key opportunities in the shop window for some players.

Munster’s new signing from Leicester Tigers, Johne Murphy, is available after Premier Rugby flexed their muscles to ensure he missed the Saxons game to be on club duty for the Tigers. He takes his place on the right wing, knowing Munster fans will be giving his performance special attention.

Out-half Ian Humphries, who came on during the Saxons game but failed to impress, will start the game at out half, a rare and vital opportunity for him at this level. He was overlooked by Kidney for the Autumn internationals, despite some sterling showings in the pivot role for Ulster.

In the pack, hooker Sean Cronin starts at hooker and lock Ryan Caldwell get chances to shine. With Sean O’Brien named in the replacements for the senior team, Dan Tuohy and Shane Jennings are the flankers in a back row that looks well capable of providing Scotland with a difficult evening, perhaps even deciding what is set to be a tight, hard-fought contest.

IRELAND WOLFHOUNDS: G Duffy (Connacht); J Murphy (Leicester), D Cave (Ulster), F McFadden (Leinster), I Dowling (Munster); I Humphreys (Ulster), P Stringer (Munster); M Horan (Shannon), S Cronin (Connacht), T Buckley (Munster); R Caldwell (Ulster), D Toner (Leinster); D Tuohy (Ulster), C Henry (Ulster, capt), S Jennings (Leinster). Replacements: N Brady (Ulster), M Ross (Leinster), E O’Donoghue (Ulster), N Ronan (Munster), I Boss (Ulster), I Keatley (Connacht), K Matthews (Connacht).

SCOTLAND A: J Thompson (Edinburgh); N Walker (Ospreys), B Cairns (Edinburgh), N De Luca (Edinburgh); S Danielli (Ulster), R Jackson (Glasgow), M Blair (Edinburgh, capt); J Welsh (Glasgow), D Hall (Glasgow); E Murray (Northampton), S MacLeod (Edinburgh), J Hamilton (Edinburgh); J Eddie (Glasgow), S Grey (Nothampton), R Grant (Edinburgh). Replacements: A Kelly (Edinburgh), K Traynor (Edinburgh), C Hamilton (Edinburgh), F McKenzie (Edinburgh), G Laidlaw (Edinburgh), R Dewey (Glasgow), J Houston (Edinburgh).