Rugby World Cup: Russia name much-changed team to face Scotland

Russia full-back Vasily Artemyev will lead his country for the 34th time against Scotland in Shizuoka on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images

The Bears’ Welsh coach Lyn Jones has kept only six from the starting XV which lost 35-0 to Ireland in Kobe last week.

The only players to retain their places are tighthead prop Kirill Gotovtsev, flanker Tagir Gadzhiev, half-backs Dmitry Persov and Ramil Gaisin, right-wing German Davydov and full-back Vasily Artemyev.

Artemyev, who played for University College Dublin while studying law in Ireland and also had a season with Northampton Saints, has already captained his country on a record 33 occasions and will now lead out his team for the 34th time in what will be his 89th cap.

The 32-year-old is Russia’s top Test tryscorer with 29 and is the only man to start all eight of his country’s matches at Rugby World Cups having played in the 2011 tournament in New Zealand.

Russia’s results so far in Pool A have been losses to Japan (30-10), Samoa (34-9) and Ireland (35-0).

Scotland are desperate to take a bonus point from the game to take them to within four points of current pool toppers Japan ahead of the final group match against the hosts in Yokohama on Sunday.

RUSSIA TEAM

to play Scotland at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa on Wednesday (kick-off 8.15am BST)

15. Vasily Artemyev (c)

14. German Davydov

13. Vladimir Ostroushko

12. Dmitry Gerasimov

11. Vladislav Sozonov

10. Ramil Gaisin

9. Dmitry Perov

1. Valery Morozov

2. Stanislav Selskii

3. Kirill Gotovtsev

4. Andrey Ostrikov

5. Evgeny Elgin

6. Vitaly Zhivatov

7. Tagir Gadzhiev

8. Nikita Vavilin

SUBS

16. Sergey Chernyshev

17. Azamat Bitiev

18. Vladimir Podrezov

19. Bogdan Fedotko

20. Andrey Garbuzov

21. Sergey Ianiushkin

22. Anton Sychev

23. Yury Kushnarev

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