Duffy gets chance at fullback

Rugby:As expected, Gavin Duffy will be afforded game time after dropping out of the Ireland senior camp to start at fullback for the Irish Wolfhounds when they take on Scotland 'A' at Netherdale on Friday night.

The fullback position has been particularly problematic for Declan Kidney ahead of the Six Nations with Rob Kearney and Geordan Murphy both ruled out of the entire campaign.

Duffy will get the chance to impress in Scotland with a view to the Connacht number 15 challenging for a senior start against Italy. Leinster’s Luke Fitzgerald is believed to be the current favourite for the starting role in Rome. Munster’s flying machine Keith Earls is another contender for the fullback berth in the Six Nations opener.

Tomás O’Leary starts at scrumhalf for the Wolfhounds and he too will be keen to put on a good show and state his case to play a role of some sort in Italy.

Fergus McFadden moves in the other direction to join the senior squad as cover with Ulster’s Ian Whitten named on the Wolfhounds bench.

Up front Tony Buckley starts in the frontrow alongside his Munster team mate Damien Varley and Connacht’s Brett Wilkinson. The out-of-favour Buckley has failed to deliver on his promise of late and could do with putting in a strong performance against Scotland ‘A’.

Ian Nagle starts in the secondrow alongside Devin Toner as both Donnacha Ryan and Dan Tuohy - named in the original squad - were ruled out because of injury.

Kick-off at Netherdale on Friday night is at 7.30pm.

Irish Wolfhounds team(v Scotland 'A'): Gavin Duffy (Galwegians - Connacht), Johne Murphy (Young Munster - Munster), Eoin O'Malley (Old Belvedere - Leinster), Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch – Ulster), Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution - Munster), Ian Humphreys (Ballymena - Ulster), Tomás O'Leary (Dolphin – Munster), Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians - Connacht), Damien Varley (Garryowen - Munster), Tony Buckley (Shannon - Munster), Ian Nagle (Cork Constitution – Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne - Leinster), Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary's College - Leinster), Willie Faloon (Ballynahinch - Ulster), Chris Henry (Ballymena - Ulster). Replacements:Nigel Brady (Dungannon - Ulster), Jamie Hagan (Corinthians - Connacht), Andrew Browne (Galwegians – Connacht), Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne - Leinster), Isaac Boss (Terenure College - Leinster), Niall O'Connor (Belfast Harlequins - Ulster), Ian Whitten (Ballynahinch – Ulster).