Scotland host Ireland in a huge game to begin the second round of fixtures

Scotland v Ireland: Team line-ups, kick-off time, key quotes, predictions, odds and where to watch on TV

By Sporting Life

16:38 · SAT February 09, 2019

Our guide to Saturday's Guinness Six Nations clash between Scotland and Ireland at Murrayfield includes team news, predictions, statistics and more.

Ireland will be bidding to bounce back following their defeat to England, while Scotland look to make it two from two having started off their campaign with victory over Italy.

This preview pack will be updated all week to include the latest team news, quotes from coaches, key facts, the latest Sky Bet odds and the thoughts of Tony Calvin to help you with your bets.

What time is kick off & what channel is it on?

The match, which takes place at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, will start at 1415 GMT on Saturday February 9 and will be screened live on BBC 1.

Scotland v Ireland: Team news

Hat-trick hero Blair Kinghorn has dropped to the bench as Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend made four changes for the Guinness Six Nations clash with Ireland.

Kinghorn has made way for the fit-again Saracens winger Sean Maitland despite bagging three tries in Scotland's opening victory over Italy.

The other three changes for Saturday's BT Murrayfield contest come in the pack. Prop Simon Berghan and back-row forward Josh Strauss replace injured pair WP Nel (calf) and Sam Skinner (ankle), while Jonny Gray has recovered from a shoulder injury to displace Ben Toolis.

Rob Kearney will return at full-back for Ireland with Chris Farrell parachuted into the centres.

Munster powerhouse Farrell will partner Bundee Aki in midfield, with Robbie Henshaw dropping out of Ireland's match squad due to a dead leg injury.

British and Irish Lions centre Henshaw struggled positionally when shifted to full-back in last weekend's 32-20 home loss to England.

Teams:

Scotland: S Hogg (Glasgow); T Seymour (Glasgow), H Jones (Glasgow), S Johnson (Glasgow), S Maitland (Saracens); F Russell (Racing 92), G Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne, capt); A Dell (Edinburgh), S McInally (Edinburgh), S Berghan (Edinburgh), G Gilchrist (Edinburgh), J Gray (Glasgow), R Wilson (Glasgow), J Ritchie (Edinburgh), J Strauss (Sale Sharks).

Replacements: F Brown (Glasgow), J Bhatti (Glasgow), D Rae (Glasgow), B Toolis (Edinburgh), R Harley (Glasgow), A Price (Glasgow), P Horne (Glasgow), B Kinghorn (Edinburgh).

Ireland: R Kearney (Leinster); K Earls (Munster), C Farrell (Munster), B Aki (Connacht), J Stockdale (Ulster); J Sexton (Leinster), C Murray (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster, capt), T Furlong (Leinster), J Ryan (Leinster), Q Roux (Connacht), P O'Mahony (Munster), S O'Brien (Leinster), J Conan (Leinster).

Replacements: S Cronin (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), A Porter (Leinster), U Dillane (Connacht), J Van Der Flier (Leinster), J Cooney (Ulster), J Carbery (Munster), J Larmour (Leinster).

Referee: Romain Poite (France).

Assistant referees: Pascal Gauzere and Alexandre Ruiz (both France).

Scotland v Ireland: Odds & advice

Scotland are 7/4 to confine Ireland to a nightmare start and all but end their Six Nations hopes. Ireland meanwhile are six-point favourites on the handicap and 2/5 to win regardless of the margin, with the draw 20/1.

Click here to check out all Sky Bet's Scotland v Ireland odds

Tony Calvin's verdict...

"I couldn’t find a bet in the game, though I expect a close encounter and the 14-1 about a half-time draw was the closest I came."

Click here to read Tony's full preview

Scotland v Ireland: Key quotes

Scotland's Peter Horne: "Ireland will be feeling a bit of the pressure. We put ourselves under pressure too, but I guess it will be in the back of their minds that if we beat them their title dreams are gone.

"At the same time we will feel pretty similar, so we'll look to fly into them and have a good game.

"I heard Rory Best saying the game against us will be a real measure of their character.

"They will be looking for a massive reaction, which makes them dangerous. They will be looking to prove last weekend's defeat was just a bump in the road.

"But there will be some (doubt) in the back of their minds if we can start well. We'll be looking to make it a difficult day and put them under some early pressure."

Ireland's Jacob Stockdale: "We know we're not the finished product, and I don't think anybody here has ever claimed us to be.

"So we're still trying to work and still trying to improve. You learn probably more from losing than you do winning.

"For me personally that's a massive point - I don't want that to ever happen again. So I'm going to work twice as hard to make sure it doesn't.

"So there's a lot to learn from last week and a lot to be excited about going forward."

Scotland v Ireland: Last four meetings

2018: Ireland 28-8 Scotland, Dublin

2017: Scotland 27-22 Ireland, Murrayfield

2016: Ireland 35-25 Scotland, Dublin

2015: Ireland 28-22 Scotland, Dublin

Six Nations fixtures and results

Round One (February 1-2)

France 19-24 Wales
Click here for match report
Scotland 33-20 Italy
Click here for match report
Ireland 20-32 England
Click here for match report

Round Two (February 9-10)

Scotland v Ireland, Saturday February 9, 1415 GMT, BT Murrayfield, BBC 1
Italy v Wales, Saturday February 9, 1645 GMT, Stadio Olimpico, ITV & S4C
England v France Sunday February 10, 1500 GMT, Twickenham, ITV 1

Round Three (February 23-24)

France v Scotland, Saturday February 23, 1415 GMT, Stade de France, BBC 1
Wales v England, Saturday February 23, 1645 GMT, Principality Stadium, BBC 1 & S4C
Italy v Ireland, Sunday February 24, 1500 GMT, Stadio Olimpico, ITV 1

Round Four (March 9-10)