We look at five talking points ahead of Irelands Six Nations clash with Scotland on Saturday. Who needs it more?Before their win over Italy in round four, Scotland were under enormous pressure. Their Six Nations run of defeats were piling up, dating back to 2014. But the relieving win was joined by another, and Cotter is convinced his side is on the verge of realising their potential. Ireland also started the Six Nations on the back foot. The departure of a legendary captain was just one reason the defence of their title would be a difficult one.Although they started well in the opening 20 minutes against Wales in round one, its been a struggle since then. Will Joe Schmidts job be under threat if Ireland lose to Scotland? A loss for Ireland would leave them in second-last place at the end of the tournament, a sharp slide from the previous year. But even worse, six of Irelands next seven internationals are against the top three sides in the world.A three-test tour against South Africa is followed by a friendly against New Zealand in the US before facing the All Blacks once more in the autumn internationals to go with their showdown with Australia in the same series.Bluntly, fifth place in the northern hemisphere is no way to prepare for that many games against the southern hemisphere.Should Scotland win it would likely leave them in third place unless France dismantle England by a sizeable amount, while Ireland could finish fourth - even with a win.Weir ahead of Horne Weir gets the nod ahead of Horne When Finn Russell left the field early against France, his replacement Peter Horne performed brilliantly to steer Scotland to a 29-18 win.However, with Russell still ruled out this week, its Duncan Weir who has been given the nod ahead of Horne. It is by no means a bizarre call given Weirs experience, but does seem slightly harsh on last weeks capable replacement. In announcing his side, Cotter was keen to point out how much of a collective effort Sundays win was: We were pleased with our sustained effort against France.I was happy with the way we adapted to losing Finn so early in the game. The team came together and was rewarded for their endeavour with the end result.Peter played really well when he came on. It wasnt easy for him.He gets himself back on the bench and were hoping hell bring the same contribution whether its 10, 12 or 13 during the game.Attacking 15s Simon Zebo looking to attack for Ireland Stuart Hogg was in superb attacking form against the French, orchestrating the winning try with a flick to Tim Visser, but his defensive capabilities have been called into question in the past.Despite the perceived frailties, Sky Sports Stuart Barnes backed the full-backs credentials in his column this week.The balance of attacking pluses can outweigh the odd defensive negative as Hogg gloriously emphasised, Barnes wrote on Monday.Hoggs opposite number this weekend is no stranger himself to a microscope hovering over his tackling technique.Simon Zebos ability to unlock opposition defences is well documented, but hes not as effective without the ball, which is partly why Rob Kearney is most often preferred ahead of him.This weekends match could see two of the worlds most exciting full-backs with ball in hand go head-to-head, as they bid to prove that scoring tries is the most important element of rugby.Battle up front WP Nel anchors the Scotland scrum It will be a great scrum battle as two in-form front rows come up against each other.Alasdair Dickinson was superb for Scotland against France and really applied the pressure onto Rabah Slimani. Dickinson will be up against Mike Ross on Saturday who has also impressed this campaign.WP Nel may have been bumped off by France full-back Scott Spedding but he has fast become the anchor for Scotlands scrum.He will be up against Jack McGrath who has held off the experience of Cian Healy for the starting loosehead jersey. Both are excellent scrummagers and have good work rates around the paddock too. Nel will also need to be on his game because Healy - no slouch in the scrummaging department himself - will at some stage be thrown into the fray.Tommy ODonnell v John Hardie munsters Tommy ODonnell will have a fierce battle with Hardie Another player who stood out against France was Scotlands John Hardie who stood out in defence and in the breakdown. His 13 tackles against France were the best of the day for Scotland while he was a key man in the turnovers as well.ODonnell gets his chance after Josh van der Flier was ruled out with an injury and it is a chance for him to really stake his claim on the No 7 jersey.Van der Flier has been excellent for Ireland and has proved his worth as an excellent scavenger. Like van der Flier, ODonnell is very much in the mould of the more traditional No 7 and his battle with Hardie at the break down will play a huge role in who wins this game.Ireland: 15 Simon Zebo, 14 Andrew Trimble 13, Jared Payne, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 1 Jack McGrath, 2 Rory Best (capt), 3 Mike Ross, 4 Donnacha Ryan, 5 Devin Toner, 6 CJ Stander, 7 Tommy ODonnell, 8 Jamie Heaslip.Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Nathan White, 19 Ultan Dillane, 20 Rhys Ruddock, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Fergus McFadden.Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Alex Dunbar, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 1 Alasdair Dickinson, 2 Ross Ford, 3 Willem Nel, 4 Richie Gray, 5 Tim Swinson, 6 John Barclay, 7 John Hardie, 8 Ryan Wilson.Replacements: 16 Stuart McInally, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Moray Low, 19 Rob Harley, 20 Josh Strauss, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Peter Horne, 23 Sean Lamont. Steven Matz Jersey . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. David Wright Jersey . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. http://www.metsbaseballauthentic.com/amed-rosario-mets-jersey/ . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. Keon Broxton Jersey . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night. Jacob deGrom Mets Jersey . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Much of the hockey world has been keenly eyeing July 1, which officially kicks off the free-agent signing period. That is when weeks of hot-stove speculation finally give way to actual player movement. But NHL executives also had June 27 marked on their calendars, the deadline to tender qualifying offers to restricted free agents. The passing of this years deadline didnt result in too many shocking moments. However, it did add a few intriguing names to a pool of free agents that suddenly became just a little more interesting.After not receiving a qualifying offer by Monday, here are three newly minted unrestricted free agents who could gain the attention of NHL general managers.Justin Schultz, 25: Fresh off a Stanley Cup run in which he contributed four assists in 15 playoff games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, this wont be Schultzs first brush with free agency. The mobile defenseman failed to sign with the Anaheim Ducks after they drafted him in the second round of the 2008 draft before signing in 2012, and ultimately struggling, with the Edmonton Oilers. But having earned valuable playoff experience with the Penguins and discovering a new role as a depth defenseman, the University of Wisconsin product could open a new chapter in what was a frustrating NHL career before he was dealt at the trade deadline. He posted back-to-back 30-point seasons in Edmonton and should be an asset to any coach who can harness his point production while building his defensive game.Devante Smith-Pelly, 24: Smith-Pelly truly emerged this season with the New Jersey Devils, scoring eight goals and 13 points in 18 games after being dealt at the deadline by the Montreal Canadiens. So it came as a ssurprise when the Devils didnt tender an offer for a player who appeared to finally be finding his stride as an NHL-caliber power forward.dddddddddddd Still, that successful six-week stint with the Devils might have earned him a few free-agent options. The real issue for Smith-Pelly as he ventures into the murky waters of unrestricted free agency for the first time could be the term of his next contract. Having played on three teams in the past two seasons, hed surely like to find a team willing to commit to him for the next few seasons. It remains to be seen if one month of strong play as a top-six forward on a non-playoff team can earn him those years. But 214-pound players who provide a disruptive net-front presence arent easy to find, so Smith-Pelly could be on the radar of several teams.Brandon Pirri, 25: Pirri appeared to be on his way after a breakout 2014-15 season in which he scored 22 goals in 49 games for the Florida Panthers. But injuries and a late-season trade to the Anaheim Ducks stalled his development. Unable to round out his overall game, Pirri is now a free agent. But in the short time he has appeared in the NHL, Pirri has established himself as a capable goal scorer. In fact, his goal rate per 60 minutes over the past three seasons compares favorably with the likes of Wayne Simmonds, Jamie Benn, Evgeni Malkin and Brad Marchand. No one in their right mind is going to compare Pirri to any of those stars, but teams are always in search of scoring, meaning the Toronto native should get an opportunity to catch on somewhere new. ' ' '