Scotland team against Wales: One change for Six Nations clash as Gregor Townsend keeps faith with Calcutta Cup winners

Zander Fagerson has returned to the Scotland team for Saturday's Six Nations match against Wales.

The inclusion of the Glasgow Warriors prop in the starting XV is the only change to the side which beat England so impressively in round one of the championship. Fagerson replaces WP Nel at tighthead, with the latter named on the bench. Simon Berghan, reserve tighthead at Twickenham, drops out of the squad.

Fagerson has not played since limping out of Glasgow’s win over Zebre on December 3 with a torn hamstring. Last weekend’s game against England came too soon for the 27-year-old but the Scotland coaching team is confident he can step straight back to a Test environment on Saturday.

There is no place in the squad for Hamish Watson who has not played for Scotland since suffering a concussion injury against New Zealand during the Autumn Nations Series on November 13. Gregor Townsend, the head coach, has kept faith with the players who performed so impressively in the 29-23 Calcutta Cup win.

Scotland are seeking back-to-back wins in their opening two games in the championship for the first time since 1996.

Scotland team to play Wales (Saturday, BT Murrayfield, 4.45pm. TV: live on BBC): 15. Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs); 14. Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), 13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), 12. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), 11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby); 10. Finn Russell (Racing 92), 9. Ben White (London Irish); 1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby), 2. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), 3. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), 4. Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors), 5. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), 6. Jamie Ritchie (capt; Edinburgh Rugby), 7. Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby), 8. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors). Replacements: 16. Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), 17. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors), 18. WP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby), 20. Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors), 21. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), 22. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby), 23. Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby).

Comment: No great surprise in big change

WP Nel offered solidity and experience during Scotland’s win over England, anchoring the scrum to good effect. However, Zander Fagerson has long been Gregor Townsend’s No 1 tighthead and it is no great surprise that he has returned to start against Wales. Nel will still have an important role to play from the bench but, at 36, being asked to play consecutive Test matches may have been asking too much.

Elsewhere, Townsend has backed the heroes of Twickenham to deliver against a Welsh side who lost their opener at home to Ireland. It means Kyle Steyn keeps his place on the right wing after an impressive performance against England deputising for the injured Darcy Graham. There is also a vote of confidence for Luke Crosbie, the Edinburgh flanker, who made his Six Nations debut last weekend and put in some big tackles. Ben White, at scrum-half, and Huw Jones, at outside centre, were the two surprise picks against England and both vindicated their selection with impressive performances, each man scoring a try.

Wales, back under the control of Warren Gatland, had a horror first half at home to Ireland last week but maintained parity in the second period, eventually losing 34-10. They’ve held the whip hand over Scotland in recent times, losing only two of their last 16 meetings. The Scots beat them in Llanelli in the delayed Six Nations match of 2020, and at Murrayfield in 2017, but they have never won against a Wales team coached by Gatland. They are unlikely to have a better chance than this weekend.