World Cup skipper Dion O'Cuinneagain and full-back Conor O'Shea have been dropped for Ireland's next Six Nations outing against Scotland.

The pair are the highest profile casualties of the side's disaster at Twickenham last Saturday, where England racked up 50 points and six tries against 18 points from Ireland.

Coach Warren Gatland has dropped London Irish skipper O'Shea completely after 35 caps for his country.

Girvan Dempsey, who went on for O'Shea during the Twickenham defeat, is the only specialist full-back chosen.

Flanker O'Cuinneagain, skipper for the tour of Australia and the World Cup makes the A squad.

British Lion Eric Miller is recalled, while Llanelli's in-form flanker Simon Easterby also increases Gatland's back-row options.

Easterby is joined in the senior squad by his brother, Ebbw Vale scrum-half Guy.

He replaces Tom Tierney, another dropped after the defeat to England.

Shannon's Peter Stringer could step into Tierney's boots with Guy Easterby becoming scrum-half understudy.

Lock Robert Casey was not considered because of injury.

Fly-half Ronan O'Gara and lock Jeremy Davidson are back in contention following injuries which ruled them out of the Twickenham outing.

Irish hooker Frank Sheahan remains in the squad despite being fined £2,500 and a "severe reprimand" after an alleged attack on a fan after Saturday's defeat.

Computer technician Terry Gormley, 32, from Dublin, said he suffered a black eye after being headbutted at Jury's Hotel in Kensington, London, early on Sunday.

Sheahan, who plays for Cork Constitution, said: "I greatly regret my involvement in this incident and I have apologised personally to Mr Gormley. I also regret the embarrassment this has caused Irish rugby."

The forward is uncapped and was on the bench against England.

Gormley claimed the incident occurred after he and his friends criticised members of the Irish squad for their poor performance against England

Squad

Backs: G Dempsey (Terenure College), D Hickie (St Mary's College), J Bishop (London Irish), K Maggs (Bath), B O'Driscoll (Blackrock College), M Mullins (Young Munster), S Horgan (Lansdowne), D Humphreys (Dungannon), R O'Gara (Cork Constitution), P Stringer (Shannon), G Easterby (Ebbw Vale).

Forwards: J Hayes (Shannon), P Clohessy (Young Munster), J Fitzpatrick (Dungannon), P Wallace (Saracens), K Wood (Garryowen), F Sheahan (Cork Constitution), J Davidson (Castres), M O'Kelly (St. Mary's College), M Galwey (Shannon), S Easterby (Llanelli), A Foley (Shannon), K Dawson (London Irish), T Brennan (St Mary's College), E Miller (Terenure College).

A Team squad: Backs: T Tierney (Garryowen), D Hegarty (Terenure College), E Elwood (Galwegians), E Farrell (Blackrock College), J Kelly (Cork Constitution), S Coulter (Belfast Harlequins), T Howe (Dungannon), D Crotty (Garryowen), R Henderson (Wasps). Forwards: M Horan (Shannon), R Corrigan (Lansdowne), S Byrne (Blackrock College), A Clarke (Dungannon), L Cullen (Blackrock College), P Johns (Dungannon), M O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution), D O'Cuinneagain (Ballymena), D Wallace (Garryowen), A Ward (Ballynahinch).