Ireland v Scotland. Saturday 7th October. Stade DeFrance

If any second row is rested, I’d imagine it will be Beirne. He has done the full 80 in all 3 games so far.

i respectfully disagree with your point re the margins between tier 1 nations. Scotland are a useful side who can pose us some problems if not respected. Their players and coaching team are not to the standard that Ireland have. There’s no way South Africa/New Zealand would go into a game against this Scottish side and not expect to win. We need to start taking on that All Black mentality of supreme confidence in ourselves but not hubris. Watch the truly top sides the way they dismantle lesser teams with ruthless efficiency from the first to last minute of the game. Once they put the foot on the opposition throat they squeeze and squeeze. They suck the life out the opposition in an almost machine like manner.

Ireland are superior in all aspects of play to Scotland and if this Ireland team has true designs on the William Webb Ellis trophy then nothing less than a pummelling of Scotland will do. Not let up, no mercy, no foot off the gas after 60 mins if we are well ahead. It’s what the great teams do.

i don’t mean to disrespect to the Scots in this post whatsoever. They deserve our respect as all teams do.

I wouldn't complain too much if they picked the absolute best possible team for Scotland.

In my mind that's:

Porter, Sheehan, Furlong,

Beirne, Ryan,

O'Mahony, Doris, Van der Flier,

Gibson-Park, Sexton,

Lowe, Aki, Ringrose, Hansen,

Keenan.

Reps: Kelleher, Kilcoyne, Bealham, Henderson, Conan, Murray, Crowley, Henshaw.

Any deviations from that could probably be from the following in order of likeliness:

Starting Henshaw for one of the centres.

Starting Conan for O'Mahony, shifting Doris to 6.

Starting Henderson for Beirne.

Starting Bealham for Furlong.

Herring on the bench ahead of Kelleher.

Unfortunately as this match is practically a knockout now, I can't see any of the fringe players getting into the 23.

That's harsh on the likes of Herring, Baird, Byrne, McCloskey, Earls and O'Brien.

If Scotland don't make up the points difference against Romania, and if South Africa fail to get a a big score and a bonus point against Tonga, then the pressure would be off and selection could change a bit more. The thing is, in that case, I'd love to ask the players, like Sexton, Van der Flier, Ryan etc, given the choice would they prefer around 60 minutes against Scotland to prepare for the quarter final or would they prefer to avoid the risk of injury.

I still have my fingers crossed that South Africa have a blunder against Tonga to take some of the pressure off us, and that Italy have the match of their lives against New Zealand and we would end up with the possibility of playing Italy in the quarters!

I can't see 4 or 5 changes to the starting lineup as some think. I think we will only see Sheehan come into the starting 15. Conan to the bench, I doubt Farrell will start him from the off after being out for nearly two months. I think players who impressed versus SA like Hendo, Bealham, Murray, Henshaw will come in earlier next week if were in a good position at the start of the second half.

Pound for pound, there is no Scottish player I'd have in my combined 15. And even if Ireland rotate - something Farrell never does in significant numbers, much less against tier 1 opposition in must win games - I still think the best Scotland have to offer at about on par with their Irish peers

Porter vs Schoeman

Sheehan vs Turner

Furlong vs Fagerson

Beirne vs Gray

Ryan vs Cummings

POM vs Ritchie

VDF vs Darge

Doris vs Dempsey

JGP vs White

Sexton vs Russell

Lowe vs VDM - a generous draw. I think VDM is defensively poor but obviously a phenomenal attacker

Aki vs Tuipulotu

Ringrose vs Jones

Hansen vs Graham/ Steyn

Keenan vs Kinghorn

Swapping in and out some players too and the picture does not change too much does it?

I'd still take Henderson over any of their lock options.

Conan is a better option than any of their 6/8

Henshaw a better player than both Jones and Harris.

I'd still have Bealham over any of their tightheads

If anything you're overlooking that the utility back conversation is important because if there is an injury to the starting 11,14,15 then who is next up is vital for the next game and ideally they'll have some time. You've zoned into the 23 shirt and ignored every other scenario which would potentially bring JOB into fold, unless you believe they're going to completely rejig the line up to shoehorn McCloskey in somewhere.

Your examples of McCloskey being selected on the bench do not stack up at all as you've completely ignored the context:

Henshaw was injured in the Fiji game so McCloskey would have trained at centre all week leading up to this game. Given Henshaw's injury, if they were to risk starting him it made sense to have his direct cover on the bench.

Again, the same thing happened during the 6 nations. Ringrose was battling an injury from so the same situation applies with him training with the starters all week and being needed on the bench in case Ringrose reaggravated it, if he actually started.

AF has liked Aki and Henshaw on the bench who are two of Ireland's best players - head and shoulders above JOB and McCloskey and any other option. The only examples you have of McCloskey being preferred there is when one of the starting centres is injured all week leading up to the game and it was long shot the injured player was even going to play. You're making assumptions on AF's approach while ignoring all context.