GREGOR PULLS AN AUSSIE RABBIT OUT OF THE HAT

Gregor Townsend has rung the changes for his Scottish squad to face Ireland in Dublin on Saturday. He has replaced 10 players from the starting team for the Japan RWC 2019 game, and is giving a debut to the relatively unknown 29 year old Nick Haining at no.8. Haining hails from Australia, but has a Scots grandmother, and played for Western Force on the Lions tour in 2013, then moved to Jersey Reds, Bristol and finally ended up in Scotland this season, playing for Edinburgh. At 6 foot 4 inches and 115kg, he offers bulk in the back five that Scotland will badly need to combat the Irish physicality. He is joined by Hamish Watson and Jamie Ritchie in the back row.

Nick Haining, making his international debut this weekend

Scott Cummings starts in the second row alongside his Glasgow Warriors club mate Jonny Gray, with Ben Toolis on the bench, meaning there is no Grant Gilchrist. Hooker Fraser Brown retains his place, with Zander Fagerson and Rory Sutherland (making his first appearance since the summer of 2016) as his props. 

Captain Stuart Hogg and Sam Johnson are the only players retained in the back division. Ali Price is preferred to George Horne at scrum-half, Adam Hastings is at stand-off in place of the exiled Finn Russell, and Huw Jones returns to outside centre after missing out on selection for the World Cup. Sean Maitland and Blair Kinghorn are on the wings.