Why experience can count for 690-cap Scotland as Jamie Ritchie roller coaster takes another twist

Townsend goes for tried and trusted to face Australia

Gregor Townsend labelled it one of the most experienced Scotland teams he has ever picked and with a combined total of 690 caps in the starting XV it means the players selected to face Australia are each averaging 46 international appearances.

Experience is no guarantee of success, of course, but on paper it looks strong. The absence of Jack Dempsey through injury is covered by switching Matt Fagerson to No 8 and bringing in Jamie Ritchie at six. Fagerson, who is relishing the move, will win his 50th cap.

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Townsend has also been able to call upon his first-choice back three for the first time since the Rugby World Cup which means Blair Kinghorn returns to full-back after starting on the wing against South Africa. Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe, with 29 Test tries apiece, resume their battle on the flanks to outdo each other in the race to be Scotland’s outright leading try-scorer.

Matt Fagerson will win his 50th Scotland cap against Australia.Matt Fagerson will win his 50th Scotland cap against Australia.
Matt Fagerson will win his 50th Scotland cap against Australia. | SNS Group

Australia, by contrast, have picked a team with 405 caps, an average of 27 per man, and give a debut to Harry Potter, the former Leicester Tigers wing wizard. There is plenty of creativity in midfield, too, with rugby league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii returning to the starting side to partner ⁠Len Ikitau in the centre.

They will come up against Scotland’s skilled triumvirate of Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones and it promises to be one of the game’s key battlegrounds

“When you look at those centre combinations, you see players who have the ability to do more than one thing,” said Townsend. “Whether it's carrying direct like Sione and Ikitau can do. They've also got offloads and creativity. And then the 13s are running lines. Suaalii’s height and his offloading ability provides an extra point of difference in his game.”

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There’s a settled look about Scotland. The front five is the same as the South Africa game and the only personnel change in the backline is the addition of Graham. Townsend talked up the seasoned nature of his side and the benefits of their familiarity with each other.

“It must be one of the most experienced teams we've selected in the last eight to ten years and that should count for something,” said the coach. “It should count for their ability to understand changing pictures, their cohesion. A lot of those caps have been alongside each other. And also the experiences that we’ve had when things haven’t gone well. How did we fix it before? What did we learn from that? And vice versa, when we’ve had momentum, how do we keep that momentum going?”

The Australia game brings the curtain down on Scotland’s autumn campaign and the coach is acutely aware the result on Sunday will determine whether the series is judged as a success or failure. Impressive as the performance was against South Africa, the world champions still left Murrayfield as 32-15 victors, outscoring their hosts by four tries to nil. And the big wins over an understrength Fiji and lowly Portugal will count for little if Scotland can’t overcome a Wallabies side who are ranked eighth in the world, two places below the Scots.

Asked what a victory would mean, Townsend said: “It will give us a massive boost going into the Six Nations because we're playing a quality side. I think it'll be frustrating if we don't deliver a performance that we've been working towards, if we don't at least match that performance against South Africa. So that's what we're building towards.”

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The return of Ritchie continues his roller coaster international career of the past 18 months. Scotland captain at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the Edinburgh flanker found himself in and out of the side during last season’s Six Nations but did start in the two games Scotland won, against Wales and England.

“He's had to deal with no longer being captain and also deal with the increased competition in the back row,” noted Townsend. “But I believe he's playing some of his best rugby at the end of the season with Edinburgh. He was showing his super strengths - he was in the top two of winning jackal turnovers in the URC.

“He's also very good aerially and that came out for Edinburgh and it's coming out more and more in Test rugby when they've changed these laws. Over the last two or three weeks the aerial battle is now more chaotic and more important than it was leading into this tournament.”

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend with Blair Kinghorn who will return to his full-back role against Australia.Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend with Blair Kinghorn who will return to his full-back role against Australia.
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend with Blair Kinghorn who will return to his full-back role against Australia. | SNS Group

Kinghorn’s restoration at full-back and the availability of Graham means Tom Jordan drops to the bench. The Glasgow man has proved himself a worthy and versatile addition to the squad since his debut against Fiji but Kinghorn’s form since leaving Edinburgh for Toulouse almost a year ago sees him slot back in at 15.

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“It’s been a real positive that Tom can cover full-back, but he's played two and a half games there at Test level,” said Townsend. “Blair has played a lot more, and Blair gets that opportunity because of how he's been playing and how he's played for us.”

Matches between the sides have been close in recent years. Australia edged it 16-15 in 2022 but Scotland won 15-13 in 2021. The Wallabies have been highly impressive in beating England and Wales this month and remain on course for a Grand Slam tour of Europe but Townsend believes a packed Murrayfield can help his team finish with a flourish.

“It's the last game of the year for us as coaches and players,” he said. “We know it's going to be a sold-out crowd and we're up against a team that is on form but also plays good rugby. I think it'll be an open game if the weather stays dry as forecast.”

Scotland: Kinghorn; Graham, Jones, S Tuipulotu (capt), Van der Merwe; Russell, White; Schoeman, Ashman, Z Fagerson, Gilchrist, Cummings, Ritchie, Darge, M Fagerson. Replacements: Richardson, Sutherland, Hurd, Craig, Bayliss, Horne, Rowe, Jordan.

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Australia: Wright, Kellaway, Suaalii, Ikitau, Potter; Lolesio, Gordon; Bell, Faessler, Alaalatoa, Williams, Skelton, Valetini, Tizzano, Wilson (capt). Replacements: Paenga-Amosa, Kailea, Nonggorr, Salakaia-Loto, Gleeson, McDermott, Donaldson, Jorgensen.

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