6 Nations
Scotland make changes for Italy clash
Glasgow Warriors’ scrum-half Ali Price is in line to make his 50th appearance for Scotland having been named in the starting XV to face Italy in the penultimate round of fixtures for the 2022 Guinness Six Nations.
28-year-old Ali Price made his international debut in 2016 against Georgia at Rugby Park and has since gone on to combine with Finn Russell to create an established partnership at 9 and 10. The two will start for the seventh successive occasion on Saturday.
In one of five changes made to the team that were defeated against France, Sam Johnson returns to the line-up following his start in the victory over England in round one of this year’s championship and will partner Gloucester Rugby’s Chris Harris in the centre.
Kyle Steyn makes his first start in the Guinness Six Nations having come off the bench against France in 2020. The Glasgow Warriors winger marked his first Scotland start in style last year, scoring four tries in the Autumn Nations Series against Tonga. Edinburgh Rugby’s Darcy Graham will occupy the opposite wing following three impressive performances so far in the championship, with Exeter Chiefs full-back Stuart Hogg once again captaining the side.
In the forwards, Glasgow Warriors’ Matt Fagerson returns from injury to start at number 8. Fellow Edinburgh back-rower Hamish Watson is also named in the starting line-up having missed out against France through Covid. Fresh from signing a long-term contract with Glasgow Warriors, Rory Darge retains his place.
Edinburgh Rugby’s Grant Gilchrist and Exeter Chiefs’ Sam Skinner are unchanged in the second-row from the France match.
In the front-row George Turner is brought into the starting line-up. Glasgow Warriors’ prop Zander Fagerson keeps his place in the first XV along with Edinburgh Rugby’s Pierre Schoeman.
In the replacements Ben Vellacott is in line to make his debut. The scrum-half has been capped for Scotland Under-20s and joined Edinburgh Rugby this season following two years at Gloucester Rugby.
Adam Hastings could make his first appearance of the 2022 Guinness Six Nations from the bench and will take his place alongside Sione Tuipulotu who is also named as a replacement.
Stuart McInally, WP Nel and Allan Dell are options in the front row as replacements while Edinburgh Rugby duo Magnus Bradbury and Jamie Hodgson are available to come off the bench in the back five.
Scotland team to face Italy in the 2022 Guinness Six Nations at Stadio Olimpico, Rome, live on ITV, Saturday, 12 March – kick-off 2.15pm GMT.
15. Stuart Hogg – Exeter Chiefs – (Captain) – 91 caps
14. Darcy Graham – Edinburgh Rugby – 25 caps
13. Chris Harris – Gloucester Rugby – 34 caps
12. Sam Johnson – Glasgow Warriors – 22 caps
11. Kyle Steyn – Glasgow Warriors – 3 caps
10. Finn Russell – Racing 92 – (Vice-Captain) – 61 caps
9. Ali Price – Glasgow Warriors – 49 caps
1. Pierre Schoeman – Edinburgh Rugby -7 caps
2. George Turner – Glasgow Warriors – 23 caps
3. Zander Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors – 45 caps
4. Sam Skinner – Exeter Chiefs – 18 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist – Edinburgh Rugby – (Vice-Captain) – 51 caps
6. Rory Darge – Glasgow Warriors – 2 caps
7. Hamish Watson – Edinburgh Rugby – 47 caps
8. Matt Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors – 19 caps
Replacements
16. Stuart McInally – Edinburgh Rugby – 46 caps
17. Allan Dell – London Irish – 32 caps
18. WP Nel – Edinburgh Rugby – 46 caps
19. Jamie Hodgson – Edinburgh Rugby – 4 caps
20. Magnus Bradbury – Edinburgh Rugby – 17 caps
21. Ben Vellacott – Edinburgh Rugby – uncapped
22. Adam Hastings – Gloucester Rugby – 25 caps
23. Sione Tuipulotu – Glasgow Warriors – 4 caps
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is delighted to announce the return of the ‘A’ Interprovincial Men’s Championship which will kick off next month.
The times and dates of the opening three rounds of the Championship before Christmas have been confirmed, with a similar points-scoring system as used in the URC. A Championship winner will be declared after the final round of matches in May and the IRFU will be commissioning a legacy trophy to mark the 150th anniversary celebrations.
Welcoming the news, IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys commented:
“We’re delighted to kick-start the Men’s ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship which will provide a host of players with a further means of developing in a meaningful competition. With the success of the Emerging Ireland Tours, coupled with the return of an ‘A’ international against England next year, it is vital that we continue to provide players at provincial and Club levels with opportunities to impress outside of the traditional URC and EPCR fixture windows.
“Discussions have been ongoing for some time to provide players with meaningful games and all four provinces are unanimously supportive of this competition. It is also great to see provinces taking matches around their local Clubs.
“It is anticipated that as the competition progresses over the coming seasons these fixtures won’t clash with Energia All-Ireland League fixtures for the most part, thus potentially also offering players from the Club game with an opportunity to impress.
“This competition will form another important part of the representative pathway from Energia AIL to URC levels for Academy players upwards over the coming seasons.”
The dates for the post-Christmas fixtures will be confirmed in due course. Ticket details will be confirmed via the respective provinces.
IRFU 150 Interprovincial ‘A’ Championship Fixtures:
Saturday, 16th November:
Connacht Eagles v Leinster ‘A’ (Creggs RFC, 1pm)
Friday, 22nd November:
Ulster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ballymacaran Park, 3pm), Leinster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (Lakelands, 5pm)
Friday, 29th November:
Munster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (New Ormond Park, 3pm)
Friday, 20th December:
Ulster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (tbc, 3pm)
Saturday, 21st December:
Leinster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ollie Campbell Park, 2pm)
Weekend of 28/29 December:
Connacht Eagles v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc), Munster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 9/10 May:
Connacht Eagles v Munster ‘A’ (tbc), Leinster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 16/17 May:
Munster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (tbc), Ulster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
The Emerging Ireland team to face the Cheetahs in the final game of the three-match series in Bloemfontein on Wednesday evening (kick off 6pm Irish time, 7pm local time) has been named.
Leinster’s James Culhane will lead the team and he forms a new back-row alongside Harry Sheridan and Sean Edogbo, who makes his first start of the tour having come on as a replacement in the 29-24 win over Western Force on Sunday afternoon. Former Ireland Under-20 captain Evan O’Connell locks down with Darragh Murray, who featured in the opening 36-24 victory over the Pumas, with Alex Usanov named in the front row alongside hooker Stephen Smyth and Jack Aungier.
Darragh Murray of Emerging Ireland scores his sides second try – Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart
In the backline, Sam Prendergast starts his third game of the tour at out-half and he will be partnered by Cormac Foley, who featured as a second half replacements against the Australian Super Rugby side last time out. Connacht’s Hugh Gavin forms a midfield partnership with Hugh Cooney, with Ulster’s Zac Ward named in an exciting back tree alongside the returning Ben O’Connor at full-back and Andrew Osborne who moves to the right wing.
Munster loosehead prop George Hadden, who was called up to the squad last weekend, is set to make his first appearance after being named on the bench alongside Conor O’Tighearnaigh and Alex Soroka who started Sunday’s win. Hadden’s provincial team-mate Danny Sheahan provides cover once more at hooker, while Scott Wilson and Charlie Tector are also named on the bench for the Toyota Stadium clash alongside out-half Jack Murphy.
Looking ahead to the game, Emerging Ireland Head Coach Simon Easterby said: “When we set out at the beginning of our pre-camp in Dublin, we knew about the challenge of facing three sides in a week and we knew that every player in the group would have the opportunity to play his part. To a man each player has given his all so far and we are aiming to finish off the series with another positive performance on Wednesday.
The Cheetahs are a fiercely proud and strong side and it should be a lively game with a vocal home support behind them. It has been a fruitful past few weeks to date and we have learned a lot. While our performances haven’t been perfect, the players have embraced the challenge and played some brilliant rugby at times. The action has come thick and fast and we know that we have to be clinical in our execution. We will need to go up another level on Wednesday to get the performance we want and hopefully finish the tour on a high.”
Wednesday’s game will be broadcast once more on IrishRugby+ – click here.
Emerging Ireland (v The Cheetahs, Wednesday, October 9, 7pm local time, 6pm Irish time)
15: Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)
14: Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster)
13: Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
12: Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
11: Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens)
10: Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
9: Cormac Foley (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
1: Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
2: Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
3: Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht)
4: Evan O’Connell (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
5: Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
6: Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)
7: Sean Edogbo (UCC RFC/Munster)
8: James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster) (captain)
Replacements:
16: Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)
17: George Hadden (Garryowen FC/Munster)
18: Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
19: Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
20: Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
21: Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
22: Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster)
23: Charlie Tector (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Following Emerging Ireland’s 29-24 victory over Western Force in Bloemfontein on Sunday three players, Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Sean O’Brien (Munster) and Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster) will return to their provinces.
The trio will leave South Africa on Monday afternoon and will be available for selection for their respective URC fixtures this weekend.
The squad will visit Heidedal Township this afternoon and will conclude the three-match series on Wednesday evening against The Cheetahs (kick off 7pm local, 6pm Irish time). That match will be live on irishrugby+
Watch the full match back here on irishrugby+
Check out the highlights from the win against Western Force below.
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
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