Rugby World Cup: Scotland team to face Tonga revealed as Kyle Steyn among four changes

Scotland have made four changes to their team for Sunday’s World Cup Pool B match against Tonga in Nice.

Kyle Steyn scored four tries for Scotland in a 60-14 win over Tonga two years ago at Murrayfield.

Prop Rory Sutherland and centre Chris Harris have been named in the Scotland XV by head coach Gregor Townsend, while winger Kyle Steyn and second row Scott Cummings are included. Pierre Schoeman, Huw Jones and Darcy Graham drop to the bench, while Grant Gilchrist is left out of the 23-man group altogether.

Prop Sutherland will make only his second start for the national team in 19 months after slipping down the pecking order since his involvement with the British and Irish Lions two years ago. Similarly Harris – who also toured South Africa with the Lions in 2021 – will make only his second international start of 2023 after losing his place to Jones at the start of the year.

Steyn is back in the team in place of Graham after declaring he was “absolutely gutted” to be left out of the 23 for the South Africa match. The Glasgow Warriors winger has fond memories of playing against Tonga, scoring four tries when the two teams met at Murrayfield in November 2021, when Scotland won 60-14. Cummings will win his 31st cap by lining up alongside Glasgow team-mate Richie Gray at lock

Scrum-half George Horne and hooker Ewan Ashman are both on the bench after missing the 18-3 defeat against the Springboks two weeks ago with concussion.

Townsend had always intimated that he would name a strong team for the match against the Tongans, with fly-half Finn Russell included despite taking a blow to the ribs in the Scots’ opening defeat of the tournament against South Africa. Scotland need to win their remaining pool games, starting against Tonga followed by Romania (September 30) and Ireland (October 7), to qualify for the knockout stages.

Scotland team to play Tonga in the Rugby World Cup 2023 (Pool B) fixture at Stade De Nice, Nice, on Sunday 24 September 2023, kick-off 4.45pm (BST), live on STV and ITV: 15 Blair Kinghorn; 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Sione Tiupulotu, 11 Duhan van der Merwe; 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White; 1 Rory Sutherland, 2 George Turner, 3 Zander Fagerson, 4 Richie Gray, 5 Scott Cummings, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 7 Rory Darge, 8 Jack Dempsey. Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 WP Nel, 19 Sam Skinner, 20 Matt Fagerson, 21 George Horne, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Darcy Graham.