Scotland name team to face Fiji with 9 players from one club as duo fill Finn Russell and Blair Kinghorn void
Scotland have named a team featuring nine Glasgow Warriors players for the opening match of the autumn series against Fiji.
New captain Sione Tuipulotu will lead the team at Murrayfield and will have eight of his Glasgow team-mates alongside him in the starting XV and another six on the bench. Included among the replacements is Tom Jordan, the only uncapped player in the match-day 23. The New Zealand-born stand-off qualifies for Scotland on residency grounds having lived in the country for five years.
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Hide AdJordan, 26, who has flourished at Glasgow under Franco Smith, can also play centre.
Gregor Townsend, the Scotland head coach, 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 to play and is among the substitutes.
The absence of players from the English Premiership and French Top 14 means it is a Scotland side without some recognised big hitters such as 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.
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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.
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 a number of injuries.
Tuipulotu, who was appointed captain last week, is partnered in the centre by his club-mate Huw Jones. There is a return to the international fold for Edinburgh scrum-half Ali Price who has made an impressive start to the season.
Props Pierre Schoeman and Zander Fagerson will pack down either side of hooker Ewan Ashman; the experienced Grant Gilchrist and Scott Cummings are the locks and Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey make up an all-Glasgow back row.
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Hide AdRae, the Edinburgh tighthead, is in line to win his first cap for five years. Also on the bench are Richardson, Rory Sutherland, Max Williamson, Gregor Brown, Jamie Dobie, Jordan and Stafford McDowall.
Saturday’s game with Fiji is the first of four autumn Tests Scotland will play at Murrayfield in November, with South Africa, Portugal and Australia up next over the following three weekends.
Scotland (v Fiji, Saturday, 5.40pm, Murrayfield)
15. Kyle Rowe - Glasgow Warriors (7)
14. Darcy Graham - Edinburgh Rugby (39)
13. Huw Jones - Glasgow Warriors (50)
12. Sione Tuipulotu - Glasgow Warriors (27) CAPTAIN
11. Duhan van der Merwe - Edinburgh Rugby (41)
10. Adam Hastings - Glasgow Warriors (30)
9. Ali Price - Edinburgh Rugby (67)
1. Pierre Schoeman - Edinburgh Rugby (34)
2. Ewan Ashman - Edinburgh Rugby (19)
3. Zander Fagerson - Glasgow Warriors (67)
4. Grant Gilchrist - Edinburgh Rugby (72)
5. Scott Cummings - Glasgow Warriors (39)
6. Matt Fagerson - Glasgow Warriors (47)
7. Rory Darge - Glasgow Warriors (22) VICE-CAPTAIN
8. Jack Dempsey - Glasgow Warriors (20)
Replacements
16. Dylan Richardson - The Sharks (3)
17. Rory Sutherland - Glasgow Warriors (33)
18. D’Arcy Rae - Edinburgh Rugby (1)
19. Max Williamson - Glasgow Warriors (4)
20. Gregor Brown - Glasgow Warriors (3)
21. Jamie Dobie - Glasgow Warriors (6)
22. Tom Jordan - Glasgow Warriors (uncapped)
23. Stafford McDowall - Glasgow Warriors (5)
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