The Ireland coaching group have named the team to take on Wales at the Principality Stadium in the first round of the 2021 Guinness Six Nations Championship.

Cian Healy will make his 50th Championship appearance as he wins his 105th cap for Ireland. He is joined in the is joined in the front row by Rob Herring and Andrew Porter.

Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan form the lock partnership with Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier and CJ Stander named in the backrow.

Johnny Sexton will captain the side as he competes in his twelfth Six Nations Championship.

He is joined in the half-backs by Conor Murray who is one of five players from the match day squad who played in Ireland’s last Six Nations victory in Cardiff in 2013 (Murray, Sexton, Healy, O’Mahony and Earls).

Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose are partnered in midfield having last started a Test match together in the quarter-final of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Hugo Keenan is selected at fullback with Keith Earls and James Lowe, making his Guinness Six Nations debut, named on the wing.

The replacements are Ronan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Tadgh Furlong, Iain Henderson, Will Connors, Jamison Gibson Park, Billy Burns and Jordan Larmour.

The game kicks off at 3pm on Sunday and will be televised on Virgin Media in the Republic of Ireland and on BBC in Northern Ireland

Press Release from Irish Rugby

Scotland Head Coach Gregor Townsend has selected his team to face England in the opening round of the 2021 Guinness Six Nations, in the 150th anniversary year of the first ever international match which was played between the two sides.

To mark the occasion each Scotland player in the starting XV will have the corresponding name from the 1871 team embroidered onto their shirt to connect with the side which faced England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh 1871.

Full-back Stuart Hogg will lead the side in the 2021 Calcutta Cup fixture, as Scotland welcome back fly-half Finn Russell into the team after the Racing 92 player missed the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup through injury.

Russell will have Bath centre Cameron Redpath outside him at Twickenham, with the 21-year-old making his debut for Scotland on Saturday.

Among the five changes to the starting line-up from the final 2020 Guinness Six Nations match against Wales in Llanelli in October a new pair of wings will feature as Sean Maitland and Duhan van der Merwe both start.

In the pack Matt Fagerson is selected at number eight and George Turner starts at hooker to make his Six Nations competition debut.

Experienced scrum-half Ali Price will partner Russell in the half-backs, with Chris Harris alongside Redpath in the centres.

Up front Rory Sutherland and Zander Fagerson will pack down with hooker Turner in the front-row.

Scott Cummings and Jonny Gray continue their second-row partnership, with Hamish Watson and Jamie Ritchie completing the pack.

Edinburgh hooker David Cherry will make his Scotland debut if called up from the replacements. WP Nel and Oli Kebble are the other front-row cover, alongside fellow forwards Richie Gray and Gary Graham. Scott Steele, Jaco van der Walt and Huw Jones complete the matchday 23.

“This most historic of fixtures against England is a great start to the 2021 Guinness Six Nations and a challenge we will fully embrace with the objective of playing to our potential and ultimately lifting our supporters in these difficult times.Head Coach Gregor Townsend

“We learned a lot about ourselves and where the game is going during our Autumn campaign, and we aim to build on this base during the next seven weeks. We are set for a huge challenge against England as we will be facing one of the best teams in the world.

“It’s always a pleasure to welcome a new player into our squad and we are looking forward to Cam Redpath winning his first cap on Saturday. We have been really impressed with Cam’s contributions in the time he has been with us in camp. There are a number of experienced players in the backline to help make his transition to Test rugby go as smoothly as possible, and he has the mindset and skillset to thrive at this level.

“The opportunity of competing for the Calcutta Cup against our oldest rivals is something to get Scots around the world excited about.”

Eddie Jones has named his England side for their opening 2021 Guinness Six Nations match this weekend.

England will take on Scotland at Twickenham Stadium, in the Calcutta Cup, on Saturday 6 February (4.45pm KO).

The game marks the 150-year anniversary of the fixture, after the first ever international rugby Test match was played between the two nations at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh in 1871.

Owen Farrell, who will captain England throughout the championship, is at fly half and the team’s most experienced player Ben Youngs is set to make his 105th cap, at scrum half.

Elliot Daly is at full back, Anthony Watson is at right wing and Jonny May on the left wing.  Ollie Lawrence (inside) and Henry Slade (outside) will start as centres.

In the forward pack, Ellis Genge will play loose-head prop and Will Stuart at tight-head prop, with hooker Jamie George in the front row.  Locks Maro Itoje and Jonny Hill make up the tight five.

Mark Wilson returns at blind-side flanker, Tom Curry is positioned as open-side flanker with Billy Vunipola at No. 8. 

Beno Obano could make his England debut after being named as a finisher and there is a return from injury for Courtney Lawes.  Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ben Earl, George Ford, Max Malins, Dan Robson and Harry Williams are also named as finishers.

Jones said: “We’re really looking forward to this game and getting the Guinness Six Nations back underway.  It’s even more special to be taking part in a 150th anniversary game, it will be a good occasion.

“It was difficult to pick the 23 players.  We’ve had a really good week of training, it’s been very competitive but I’ve gone with what I feel is the strongest 23 for this week.

“The Six Nations is a short tournament, it’s a real sprint so we’ll need to be on the front foot straight away.  We know Scotland will be raring to go – but so will we.”

England v Scotland is live on ITV 1 and BBC Radio 5 Live.

England XV Starters
15. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 47 caps)
14. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 46 caps)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 34 caps)
12. Ollie Lawrence (Worcester Warriors, 3 caps)
11. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 61 caps)
10. Owen Farrell (C) (Saracens, 88 caps)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 104 caps)
1. Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers, 23 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 54 caps)
3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 8 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 43 caps)
5. Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, 4 caps)
6. Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons, 19 caps)
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 28 caps)
8. Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 56 caps)

Finishers
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, 26 caps)
17. Beno Obano (Bath Rugby, uncapped)
18. Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs, 18 caps)
19. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 85 caps)
20. Ben Earl (Bristol Bears, 8 caps)
21. Dan Robson (Wasps, 7 caps)
22. George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 72 caps)
23. Max Malins (Bristol Bears, 3 caps)