Prop Geoff Cross has been called into the Scotland side for this weekend’s Six Nations international against Ireland at Murrayfield in the only change to the side that beat Italy earlier this month.

Euan Murray, following in the footsteps of Scotland rugby and athletics great Eric Liddell and New Zealand’s 1987 World Cup-winner Michael Jones, refuses to play on Sundays because of his Christian beliefs.

And that led Scotland’s Australian interim head coach, Scott Johnson, to select Edinburgh front-rower Cross in Murray’s place at tighthead prop on Wednesday in the only change to the side that defeated Italy 34-10 at Murrayfield last time out.

Cross will be looking to follow on from his try-scoring exploits against world champions New Zealand when he last started for his country.

Meanwhile Dougie Hall has recovered from the knee injury he sustained in Scotland’s opening defeat by England and is restored as replacement hooker.

“We have to improve on our last game and that’s been our theme at training all week,” said Johnson, who once more stressed the importance of Scotland dominating at the breakdown.

“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’.”

Scotland head into the weekend’s third round of Six Nations matches second behind unbeaten leaders England.

Scotland: Stuart Hogg; Sean Maitland, Sean Lamont, Matt Scott, Tim Visser; Ruaridh Jackson, Greig Laidlaw; Johnnie Beattie, Kelly Brown (capt), Robert Harley; Jim Hamilton, Richie Gray; Geoff Cross, Ross Ford, Ryan Grant. Res: Dougie Hall, Jon Welsh, Moray Low, Alastair Kellock, David Denton, Henry Pyrgos, Duncan Weir, Max Evans.