Gregor Townsend outlines the two main reasons for going as strong as possible in Fiji test
In picking as strong and experienced a side as was possible under the restrictions placed upon him for the autumn opener against Fiji, Gregor Townsend explained that his reasoning was twofold.
Firstly, he expects the improving Fijians to pose as tough a test on Saturday as they ever have against Scotland in the November internationals. Secondly, the national coach sees the fixture as an opportunity to get his players up to speed for the visit of the world champion Springboks to Edinburgh eight days later.
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Hide AdTownsend has leaned heavily on Glasgow Warriors for this first match of the autumn series. Fifteen of the match-day 23 come from the United Rugby Championship winners, nine of whom are starters, including new captain Sione Tuipulotu. The only uncapped player in the squad is Tom Jordan who is set to make his debut from the bench after becoming Scotland-qualified through the five-year residency rule.
Townsend is unable to select English or French-based players for the Fiji fixture because the match is taking place before the Test window officially opens. Glasgow and Edinburgh players therefore dominate. There are six players from the capital club in the starting side and another - D’Arcy Rae - on the bench.
The only player not selected from Scotland’s two pro sides is the Sharks hooker Dylan Richardson who has been given special dispensation by his South African club and is among the substitutes.
The absence of players from the Gallagher Premiership and Top 14 means it is a Scotland side which is missing some recognised big hitters, most notably Finn Russell and Blair Kinghorn. Adam Hastings starts at stand-off in Russell’s absence for his first Scotland match at Murrayfield since he faced the same opponents two years ago. Hastings scored a try that afternoon but had to come off injured after being on the receiving end of a huge hit from lock Ratu Leone Rotuisolia.
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Hide AdWith Kinghorn unavailable, Hastings’ Glasgow team-mate Kyle Rowe has been named at full-back to face Fiji after impressing in the role on Scotland’s summer tour and against Wales in the Six Nations. Edinburgh wingers Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham will start the match, with the latter set to make his first Scotland appearance since the 2023 Rugby World Cup after various injury issues.
Tuipulotu, who was appointed captain last week, is partnered in the centre by his club-mate Huw Jones, and there is a return to the international fold for scrum-half Ali Price who has made an impressive start to the season with Edinburgh.
Props Pierre Schoeman and Zander Fagerson will pack down either side of hooker Ewan Ashman; the seasoned Grant Gilchrist and Scott Cummings are the locks and Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey make up an all-Glasgow back row.
It’s a formidable looking side but Townsend believes Scotland need to call on all the experience they can against an on-form opponents who won the Pacific Nations Cup in the summer, beating hosts Japan 41-17 in the final, and who are selected almost entirely from the Fiji Drua team that compete in Super Rugby.
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Hide Ad“This will be a very tough test match,” said the Scotland coach. “This Fijian team, I think, 11 out of the starting 15 have just beaten Japan in Japan by scoring 40 points. They’ve had a great summer.
“This is a tougher test because we're playing against a cohesive Fijian team that have been together at Fijian Drua all season and with Fiji for five or six Tests in the summer. So that’s the number one [reason for picking a strong side]. We’ve got a responsibility to win Test matches and put out what we believe is our strongest team to do that.
“Number two is we’ve got a game against the world champions in eight days’ time and we need our players to be up to speed. We’ve only had two training sessions for this weekend, but as we go through the three games. So the best way to do that is getting them out, playing together, playing at Test match level.”
After Fiji and South Africa, Scotland will face Portugal and Australia, with all games taking place at Murrayfield. There is also an A international against Chile at Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium.
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Hide AdAs the only uncapped player in the Scotland squad, Jordan will find himself under the spotlight this week and Townsend reported that the New Zealand-born stand-off has settled quickly into the Test environment and the coach expects him to bring a more muscular presence to the stand-off role.
“He brings an energy, an aggression to the game, which if he’s coming on at 10, that's going to be slightly different than what you normally see at test level at 10,” said the coach. But he's a learner, he’s a student of the game. He’s really worked hard on his basic skills, his fundamentals of kicking, kick-offs, passing.”
Jordan, 26, is the latest Scotland player to qualify on residency grounds and Townsend believes having so many of his Glasgow team-mates in the squad has helped him settle in.
“He knows more than half the squad and he'll be working to deliver his best like he's done at club level over the last few years. We know everybody's got a different background. There's players that have been brought up in Scotland and continue to play here, players that have moved on, players that have got heritage, qualifications and people that have lived here for what is now five years to be able to commit to the country. I'm sure he'll give his all like he does or has done for Glasgow.”
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Hide AdJoining Jordan and Richardson on the bench are Rae, the Edinburgh tighthead, who is in line to win his first cap for five years, Glasgow forwards Rory Sutherland, Max Williamson, and Gregor Brown and Glasgow backs Jamie Dobie and Stafford McDowall.
Scotland v Fiji (Murrayfield, Saturday, 5.40pm)
Scotland: Rowe; Graham, Jones, S Tuipulotu (capt), Van der Merwe; Hastings, Price; Schoeman, Ashman, Z Fagerson, Gilchrist, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey. Replacements: Richardson, Sutherland, Rae, Williamson, Brown, Dobie, Jordan, McDowall.
Fiji: Ravula; Karawalevu, Vota, Tabuavou, Loganimasi; Muntz, Lomani; Hetet, Ikanivere (capt), Tawake, Nasilasila, Rotuisolia, Derenalagi, Salawa, Canakaivata. Replacements: Dolokoto, Natave, Koroiduadua, Vocevoce, Miramira, Kuruvoli, Valetini, Nalaga.
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