Scotland team to play Ireland: Two changes as Gregor Townsend makes big call at centre

McDowall gets first start of Six Nations this year as he replaces Redpath

Stafford McDowall comes in at centre for Scotland.

Stafford McDowall has been named in the Scotland team to play Ireland in this weekend’s Guinness Six Nations final-round fixture in Dublin.

He replaces Cameron Redpath who drops to the bench. It is reward for McDowall’s outstanding form for Glasgow Warriors across the past two seasons where his career has been revived under the stewardship of Franco Smith. It will be the inside centre’s first taste of the Six Nations although he has played for Scotland once before, in the World Cup warm-up match against Italy last summer.

The inclusion of McDowall, 26, is one of two changes made by Gregor Townsend to his starting XV following the desperately disappointing loss to Italy last Saturday. The head coach has brought Ben White back into the team after resting the scrum-half in Rome. George Horne, who started against Italy, is named among the replacements and Ali Price is left out of the match-day 23.

There are further changes on the bench, with Rory Sutherland coming in as replacement loosehead prop in place of Alec Hepburn. Townsend has also reverted to a five-three split of forwards and backs after going with six-two against Italy. It means there is no place in the squad for Jamie Ritchie, who captained Scotland at the recent World Cup but has been in and out the team throughout this Six Nations.

Townsend’s side go into the final round match with the chance of winning the Triple Crown, something they have not done since the Grand Slam season of 1990. Having beaten Wales and England, a victory over the Irish would clinch the trophy and give Scotland their first major honour since they won the final Five Nations in 1999.

Scotland team (v Ireland, Dublin, Saturday, 4.45pm): B Kinghorn; K Steyn, H Jones, S McDowall, D van der Merwe; F Russell, B White; P Schoeman, G Turner, Z Fagerson, G Gilchrist, S Cummings, A Christie, R Darge, J Dempsey. Replacements: E Ashman, R Sutherland, E Millar-Mills, S Skinner, M Fagerson, G Horne, C Redpath, K Rowe.