Filed under: Rugby Union, Rugby World Cup, Internationals, Ireland Rugby, Scotland Rugby
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY: MURRAYFIELD, SATURDAY AUGUST 6, 2011. KICK-OFF: 1415 BST.It may be classed as a friendly, but the description does not do justice to a game where so much is at stake for so many players.
Both coaches have made it clear that places are still up for grabs as they prepare to name their 30-man squads for the World Cup in New Zealand.
And, for several players, this will be the crunch game, the 80 minutes that will help determine their World Cup fate.
Nobody will relish the challenge more than Connacht's Mike McCarthy, who wins his first full cap for Ireland at the age of 29.
It is the blindside flanker's reward for switching his allegiance to Ireland after playing for England under-21's - and for remaining at Connacht after being urged to join a bigger club to boost his international prospects.
McCarthy knows that his selection in a largely second-string line-up is far from a guarantee that he is he heading to the World Cup, but a good performance could force the former Newcastle Falcon into the reckoning.
Another Irishman who will enjoy the occasion is Leo Cullen, who has often been overlooked in the past decade, but now leads out the national team for the first time.
Cullen, who has started only 12 games since 2001, has been named as captain in place of the injured Brian O'Driscoll.
He said:"It is going to be a special day for me. I really appreciate it when I get the opportunity to play for Ireland because there's been plenty of years when I've sat and watched the team from afar.
"It's a very competitive environment here at the moment. Places are tight, I suppose, for getting on the plane to New Zealand. We're only going to have a couple of opportunities to do what we can."
There is similar tension in the Scotland squad, with coach Andy Robinson revealing that anybody who doesn't play in their warm-up games can forget about the World Cup.
He said:"There's a marker for each and every one of them to put down, however long they have on the pitch.
"I've experimented with some combinations, but the team has still been selected to win the match.
"If any player takes it lightly, firstly there's the potential for them to get hurt and secondly I won't be looking at them for the squad."
MEN TO WATCH:
Johnnie Beattie (Scotland): The No.8 will be going to New Zealand, but needs to prove his fitness if he wants to be in the starting line-up. If he had any doubts that the heat is on, Robinson made it plain when he said:"It's down to guys like Johnnie to deliver."
Tomas O'Leary (Ireland): The Munster scrum-half is back after suffering an eye injury against France in February. He will link up with Jonathan Sexton and is under pressure to show they should be the half-back combination in the World Cup.
ODDS: Scotland 11/10, Ireland 8/11, Draw 18/1.
THE BREAKDOWN
THE FORWARDS:
It will be fascinating to see how the new-look Scottish back row performs and, for some, it could be their last chance to make an impact. None of the Irish pack in action here can justifiably expect to make the starting line-up in New Zealand, barring injuries, but there are still some powerful figures involved - and they have something to prove to coach Declan Kidney. Edge: Scotland.
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