Stafford McDowall and Cameron Henderson offered World Cup chance as Ben Healy starts at 10 for Scotland

Stafford McDowall during a Scotland training session at the Oriam. He will start at inside centre against Italy. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Gregor Townsend knows he has some tough decisions ahead of him as he cuts his squad from 41 to 33 for the Rugby World Cup but the head coach has opened the door for a handful of fringe players to stake their claim in this weekend’s first warm-up match against Italy at Murrayfield.

There is an experimental feel to the team, with ten different starters from Scotland’s last match, in March against the same opposition in the Six Nations. The headline acts are Stafford McDowall at inside centre, making a deserved international debut after a highly profitable season with Glasgow Warriors; Rory Darge captaining the side at the age of 23; Ollie Smith taking the mantle from Stuart Hogg at full-back following the record try-scorer’s sudden retirement; stand-off Ben Healy starting a match for Scotland for the first time following his switch from Ireland; the welcome selection of flying winger Darcy Graham after injury kept him out of the Six Nations; Murphy Walker at tighthead prop; and another potential debutant in Cameron Henderson, the impressive Leicester Tigers second row who is named on the bench. There is also the return to the starting line-up of Chris Harris, Ali Price and Rory Sutherland, former mainstays whose contribution to the recent Six Nations was limited.

Townsend is enthused by the prospect of Scotland’s return to action on Saturday in what is the first of four preparation matches his side will play before the World Cup kicks off in France on September 8. He is particularly keen to see how McDowall, 25, and Henderson, 23, handle their first taste of Test rugby. “Stafford has had such a good season,” said the coach. “He has evolved as a rugby player and taken his game to another level. He has become a massive running threat – he’s a big man so he’s physical but his footwork has been really good too. He’s been scoring tries in the wide channels and making the right decisions. He’s got a very good kicking game too and defensively he’s been solid.

“The all-round game is there. Where he’s also grown is as a leader and as a man. He’s captained Glasgow this year, he communicates really well on the field. He’s earned this start. He’s competing with Sione [Tuipulotu] and Cam [Redpath] for the 12 position. We know all three of them can cover 13 too, but they are essentially 12s as we see them right now.”

Henderson, like McDowall, has long been tipped for a full cap. He was included in the Scotland squad in 2021 for a summer tour that had to be scrapped due to Covid and was then involved in this year’s Six Nations but never played. He also had to overcome adversity in the form of a serious knee injury which denied him a significant role in Leicester’s title-winning campaign of 2021-22.

“Cam came in for the summer tour when we were away with the Lions and then got a bad knee injury,” said Townsend. “How he’s responded to what was a nine-month injury, playing really well for Leicester. I remember they went away to Clermont and he stood out, calling the lineouts and he played 80 minutes that day. He’s a regular for Leicester. He came into our Six Nations camp and he was great, wanting to get better. He’s added a strong defensive part to his game. There is a toughness, a mobility to get a tackle and get back on his feet. He’s very good at kick pressure and he’s improving his attack. Second row are the ones we’re asking the most of. They’re up there with having to hit the most rucks, put in the most tackles, work a lineout and not just win your own ball but compete against the opposition, and you now have to be ball players.”

Townsend expects to make wholesale changes for the second summer Test, against France at home a week on Saturday, and is considering cutting his squad at that point. He acknowledged that not everyone will get a game before then so those who do will need to seize the opportunity. Injuries, inevitably, will play a part. Andy Christie, the Saracens flanker, has already left the squad as he recovers from a broken arm and will play no part in the warm-up series which also includes an away game against France on August 12 and Georgia’s visit to Murrayfield on August 26. Ruaridh McConnochie, the uncapped Bath wing, has an Achilles strain and will be assessed over the weekend. Adam Hastings has returned to full training after being injured in the World XV v Barbarians match in May but it is Healy who will pull the strings at stand-off against Italy. The Edinburgh-bound No 10 finished the season strongly with Munster and Townsend reported that he was full of confidence following their stunning win over Stormers in the URC final.

Hogg’s retirement offers Smith a chance to stake a claim on the No 15 jersey but Blair Kinghorn, named on the bench this weekend, will also have designs on the full-back role and Townsend acknowledged it was looking like a straight shootout between the pair. “Ollie has been very impressive in training,” the coach said of the three-times capped Glasgow man. “The Test matches that he’s played for us he’s played really well. He seems to be able to thrive at Test level and has impressed a lot in training with his work rate. Blair obviously played a lot at 15 [off the bench] during the Six Nations and is in really good physical shape. So those two are competing for the full-back position currently. Blair we know can play 10 but with Ben Healy returning to training, Blair has been mainly training at full-back. We know he can cover both positions but he and Ollie are the two guys running full-back just now.”

Ben Healy will start for Scotland against Italy in the World Cup warm-up match at Scottish Gas Murrayfield. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Scotland team v Italy (Saturday, Murrayfield, 3.15pm, live on Amazon Prime Video)

15. Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors) 3 caps

14. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh) 33 caps

13. Chris Harris (Gloucester) – vice-captain – 42 caps

12. Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped

11. Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 10 caps

10. Ben Healy (Edinburgh) 1 cap

9. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) 61 caps

1. Rory Sutherland (unattached) 23 caps

2. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 35 caps

3. Murphy Walker (Glasgow Warriors) 2 caps

4. Sam Skinner (Edinburgh) – vice-captain – 25 caps

5. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) 25 caps

6. Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh) 4 caps

7. Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors) – captain – 7 caps

8. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 33 caps

Replacements

16. Stuart McInally (Edinburgh) 47 caps

17. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) 29 caps

18. Javan Sebastian (Edinburgh) 3 caps

19. Cameron Henderson (Leicester Tigers) uncapped

20. Josh Bayliss (Bath) 3 caps

21. Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors) 1 cap

22. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) 43 caps

23. Cameron Redpath (Bath) 5 caps