Cronin and Keeshan keen to put record right

IRELAND half-back pair Sam Cronin and Barry Keeshan will be keen to return to some unfinished business when they face their Scottish counterparts in a Club International at Donnybrook tonight (7pm).

Cronin and Keeshan, who are also the pivot men for Dolphin, are among just five survivors from the side that was downed 31-18 by their Scottish counterparts at Myreside last year.

St Mary’s backrow Hugh Hogan, Clontarf centre Killian Lett and Blackrock College back Darragh Fitzpatrick – who starts on the bench tonight – are the others who have unfinished business from 12 months ago.

Dave O’Mahony’s side are seeking their first club international win since 2008, and the spoils have gone to the home team in these club internationals since the inaugural clash between the sides in 2006.

The Irish team defeated by England Counties in February shows a number of changes. UCC loose head prop John Ryan comes in instead of Martin Gateley, while Hugh Logan and Zach Farivars are named following injuries to Barry O’Mahony and Richie Leyden.

Matt Healy (Lansdowne) comes in for John Cleary and Lett is nominated to fill the gap created by an injury to Evan Ryan in a side to be captained by former UCC scrum-half Cronin.

For the Scots, Alistair Hamilton (Currie) comes off the bench to start at tight-head prop in place of Alan Brown (Dundee) who has failed to recover from a virus.

Hooker Scott Burnett has also been ruled out with an arm injury and has been replaced in the starting line-up by fellow Heriot’s hooker Finlay Gillies, who represented Scotland U-20 last season and who will be making his second trip to Ireland within a fortnight. Gillies was involved with his club against Munster A in the recent British and Irish Cup defeat at Musgrave Park. Former Scotland U19 and U20 captain Cameron Ferguson comes in to take the now vacant place on the bench.

IRELAND: D O’Shea (Clontarf); M Healy (Lansdowne), E Moloney (Dolphin), K Lett (Clontarf), S Kelly (Shannon); B Keeshan (Dolphin), S Cronin (do, capt); J Ryan (UCC), M Essex (Shannon), S Shawe (Ballymena); P Huntley (Blackrock), F Walsh (Shannon); H Hogan (St Mary’s), Z Farivars (Blackrock), F Cogan (Cork Con).

Replacements: G Slattery (Young Munster), C Condon (Dolphin), S Crawford (Clontarf), R Copeland (St Mary’s), C Sheridan (UL Bohemian), D Fitzpatrick (Blackrock), S Scanlon (UCC).

SCOTLAND: F Harkness (Selkirk); J Fleming (Dundee), M Clapperton (Boroughmuir), J King (Melrose), F Thompson (do); S Wright (do), R Sneddon (Currie); G Reid (Ayr), F Gillies (Heriot’s), A Hamilton (Currie); D Kelly (Ayr), R McKay (Glasgow Hawks); J Dalziel (Melrose, capt), R Weston (Currie), M Cairns (do).

Replacements: G Wood (Watsonians), A Dymock (Heriots), S Sutherland (Ayr), G Wilson (Heriot’s), A Dunlop (Ayr), A MacMahon (Currie), C Ferguson (Dundee).