Brian O’Driscoll will become Ireland’s most capped player of all time after he was named in Joe Schmidt’s starting line-up for Sunday’s clash with Scotland at the Aviva Stadium.
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The RBS 6 Nations all-time top try-scorer with 26, O’Driscoll wins his 129th cap, usurping Ronan O’Gara who remains the Championship’s all-time points scorer.
At full-back, Rob Kearney wins his 50th cap for Ireland and brother Dave wins his third and makes only his second start while Andrew Trimble earns a recall on the other flank having missed Ireland’s autumn campaign in one of three changes made by Schmidt to the side that narrowly lost to New Zealand.
Gordon D’Arcy has been struggling with a stomach bug and so Luke Marshall partners O’Driscoll in midfield while British & Irish Lions duo Conor Murray and Jonny Sexton form the half-backs.
Schmidt said: “It was very, very close (between D’Arcy and Marshall). I think part of it was Gordon had a little bit of astomach bug at the start of the week.
“We thought Luke got more training time under his belt and was a bit more comrfortable. They bpth did well in the Autumn. Luke made a couple of telling breaks & Gordon D’Arcy played as well as I’ve ever seen him play against the All Blacks.”
Upfront, Leinster props Cian Healy and Mike Ross are selected either side of hooker Rory Best and Paul O’Connell skippers the side in the second row alongside Devin Toner.
Chris Henry receives the nod at openside flanker in the absence of Sean O’Brien while Peter O’Mahony and Jamie Heaslip complete the back row.
Uncapped Leinster prop Martin Moore is named on the bench and is in line for his debut.
IRELAND TEAM TO FACE SCOTLAND:
15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 14. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 13. Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) 12. Luke Marshall (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 11. David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 10. Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92) 9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 3. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster) 4. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 5. Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) 6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 7. Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster) 8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster)
Replacements: 16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 17. Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 18. Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster) 19. Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster) 20. Tommy O’Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) 21. Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster) 22. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster) 23. Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
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