Ireland make two changes

Under-21 v Scotland, Stradbrook (2.30)Ireland have made two changes as they bid for a third victory in this season's under-21 Six Nations Championship. Tommy Bowe has recovered from injury and reclaims his place on the left wing while Old Belvedere flanker David O'Brien wins a place in the starting line-up with Oisín Hennessy dropping to the bench.

Scotland make three changes from the team that lost 36-14 to France in Inverness last weekend, their third defeat in the championship.

They have also been beaten by Wales (39-6) and England (27-9) while their sole victory was against Italy, when they edged home 41-38. The Scots led that game 41-24 with 10 minutes remaining but ended up hanging on for dear life and finished level on the try count at 5-5.

Iain Berthinussen has recovered from an ankle injury and returns to the centre in place of Dougie Brown. Mark McMillan is to step down at scrum-half with a similar problem and is replaced by Brendan McKerchar. In the pack Ian Dryburgh will make his first international start at lock with Peter Wilmshurst-Smith moving to the bench.

Ireland's most recent outing was against the Italians whom they hammered 33-0 at Thomond Park last Friday night. Richard Lane grabbed a hat-trick of tries, the Irish pack demolished their counterparts and, save for a 10-minute spell in the second half, the home side completely overwhelmed the Italians. The final scoreline in no way flattered their ascendancy.

Victory today would probably see Ireland finish third in the Six Nations Championship, a finish which would see them slot into Pool B for the under-21 World Cup in Scotland this summer, alongside, Australia and Italy.

IRELAND: A Finn (Dolphin); R Lane (UCC), J Hearty (Blackrock), B O'Donnell (UL Bohemian), T Bowe (QUB); G Steenson (QUB), R Shaw (Wasps); J Wickham (Clontarf), D Fogarty (Cork Constitution), K Doyle (UCD); D Gannon (Blackrock, capt), S O'Connor (Cork Constitution); B O'Connor (Cork Constitution), J Heaslip (DU), D O'Brien (Old Belvedere). Replacements: C Geoghegan (UCD), S Bennett (Bath), N McComb (Dundee HSFP), O Hennessy (Dungannon), T O'Leary (Cork Constitution), M Glancy (Loughborough University), G Stafford (Lansdowne).

SCOTLAND: B Archibald (Stirling County); N De Luca (Heriot's), I Berthinussen (Gala), R Dewey (Kirkcaldy), C Shaw (Glasgow Hawks); S Jones (Newcastle Falcons), B McKerchar (Durham University); R Blake (Birmingham University), F Thomson (Glasgow Hawks), J Cox (Boroughmuir); I Dryburgh (Watsonians), C White (Stirling County); A Strokosch (Boroughmuir), D Callam (Hawick, capt), M Cairns (Loughborough University). Replacements: Ross Ford (The Borders), W Aitken (Peebles), P Wilmshurst-Smith (UWIC), G Strang (Aberdeen GSFP), A Robertson (Stirling County), N Hunter (Gloucester), D Brown (Boroughmuir).

Referee: R Debny (England).