Six Nations 2013: Geoff Cross replaces Euan Murray for Scots

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Scotland prop Geoff Cross

Geoff Cross has replaced Euan Murray, who refuses to play on Sundays for religious reasons, in the Scotland line-up to face Ireland on Sunday.

The Edinburgh prop will make his first start of this year's campaign.

The move is interim head coach Scott Johnson's only change from the team which beat Italy at Murrayfield.

"We've kept changes to a minimum and are saying to the players: 'You've won one game. Now go out show us you can win another'," he said.

And, despite the convincing nature of that 34-10 victory over the Italians, Johnson stressed that further improvement was required for a first home Six Nations win over Ireland since 2001.

"We have to improve on our last game and that's been our theme at training all week," he said.

"I make no apology for saying again that we have to step up our work in the contact area. Yes, we've some talented athletes in the squad, but we have to give them the opportunities.

"It's good to see players challenging for selection - and there are a number consistently putting their hands up, which is exactly what we want to see.

Cross, 30, was named man of the match in Scotland's win over Ireland in a World Cup warm-up match in 2011.

"It is frustrating to be on the edge of a squad as a reserve or, even more frustratingly, as a 23rd-man," Cross told BBC Scotland.

"You put in all the work and you prepare alongside all the other guys and then, when it comes to the competition that everybody loves to be part of, you're on the edge and you're waiting. That's a difficult place to be.

"There's an opportunity now to show the coaches why I should be picked, there's also a risk that I give them reasons to tell me why they don't intend to pick me in the future. The trick for me is plenty of the former and none of the latter."

In the replacements, hooker Dougie Hall has recovered from knee injury to return and Warriors teammate Jon Welsh wins a place on the bench.

Former captain Alastair Kellock could win his 50th cap if he comes off the bench.

Scotland team: Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby), Tim Visser (Edinburgh Rugby), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby), Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh Rugby), Richie Gray (Sale Sharks), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), Robert Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens) captain, Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier).

Replacements: Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors), Jon Welsh (Glasgow Warriors), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors), Max Evans (Castres).

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111 comments

  • woah, think we've got a man crush.

  • Katie P. Nice one on Gray being "short" - you clearly have a great sense of humour that is clearly lacking in some other posters.

    I'm signing off now, but I am going to Eng vFra on Sat and will be in front of the tele to watch Scotland beat Ireland. Now that result would put the Gat amongst the pigeons

  • already been commented and will continue to be commented that Dunbar and Horne have been outstanding and should be selected. Evans is not the future and no point in him being on the bench. Lamont wouldn't get picked at centre for Glasgow so why any different for Scotland??

  • @100 Good for you. I do, so on that we must differ, but I'm very much hoping for a win at the weekend.

  • Ooh, he looks cross in hte story photo

  • Well, thought I'd just point it out :D Generalisations had been made...

  • @84 .... With a name like Katie ... Your not a guy ? Whatever next :0)

  • @87 its not fair on other teams if ferris and o'brien play at the same time, will genia is still having nightmares to this day

  • 72. yobolensky claims to be scottish?! I think he would fail the norman tebbit test.
    he refers to the Scots as 'jocks" and then whinges that Gray would only be picked for the squad out of 'democracy'.

    he also posts that gray has nothing to offer, then says he's a good player?!

    he then fails the acid test: he thinks wilkinson will be going. he's an English troll. full stop. end of story.

  • yobolensky, I've watched Sexton take teams apart in the Rabo12, Heineken Cup and Internationals. He's won the Heineken Cup. Just what is it that we are supposed to find out that we don't know already?
    He is the best 10 in the northern hemisphere. As for Richie well as our Irish friend often remind us form is temporary and class is permanent. Richie is still young but is in the latter category.

  • @39 are there any refs that you like? owens and barnes referee to the letter of the law and that should not be critised, all we want is consistency throughout the game

  • What is this nonesense....Murray has refused whatever his reasons.

  • @39 No one can mention poor reffing and not go straight to the worst of the lot, Jonathan Kaplan. Poor decision making aside, which he has in spades, is his inherent desire to ruin any game with his whistle. The guy has a belief that 80000 people turned up to watch him blow it and god does he want to give it to them. Whistle, after whistle after whistle and no rugby in between. Terrible

  • am off to Murrayfield with son to watch it. he would love to have seen D'Arcy and Sexton play, but the upside it... they're not!
    With O'G at fh the front row better keep the penalty count down - and that goes for lamont as well.

  • "Was Contempomi offside? Sorry, I was looking the other way." Another Barnes highlight.

  • @21 Think in the case of the Italy game Jackson was having his best game in the Navy Blue so why take him off? Ireland did it all the time with sexton where he got hooked every game no matter how he was playing and think it's been to his detriment some times.

    I'm off the leaning that if the guys playing well and isn't knackered keep him on the pitch and let him get on with it

  • I hope Murray is kept out of the squad by more than one Cross.

  • The pictures great......

    He looks like he just got a whiff of Chris Ashtons perfume.....

  • @109 I doubt they'll re-shuffle the pack from Glasgow it's not something they've done in the past despite it being the smarter move in term of maximising our best players. That said the recruitment for Edinburgh needs to be strong this summer, a few guys coming to the end of their contracts and a definite need to improve the squad as a whole

  • @107 Yeah, he's played at 10 before, only as a sub. I still rate him over Wight, and Wight's kicking can be a bit sporadic. I guess Townsend didn't have too many options with Weir and Jackson away. I guess we'll see a shift of some players eastwards at the end of the season. What a weekend of rugby in store! Come on Glasgow and Scotland!

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