Why Gregor Townsend is right to take risks with Scotland team to play Chile as 11th tour debut awaits

With Scotland having scored 115 points in their opening two games, Gregor Townsend can probably afford to cut loose during the second half of the summer tour.

The coach has reverted to a more youthful side for the match against Chile on Saturday, making 10 changes. It bears more of a resemblance to the team he picked to play Canada in the opener rather than the battle-hardened pros who toughed it out against the USA in the heat and humidity of Washington last week.

In truth, Scotland have not been much troubled so far, as scorelines of 73-12 and 42-7 demonstrate. Townsend was wary of the physical threat posed by the Americans, as well as the conditions in DC, and would also have been mindful of his last brush with the US which ended in a shock defeat in Houston six years ago. There were no mishaps this time as the team did a professional job, scoring six converted tries.

With that put to bed, the coach feels more able to experiment in Santiago. Six of his starters are winning their second caps; the front rowers have three between them; the halfbacks have a total of seven and there are 11 in the team whose Test appearances can be counted in single digits. There will also be a first Scotland appearance for Patrick Harrison, the young Edinburgh hooker, who is named among the replacements. He will be the 11th debutant of the tour.

“It’s a chance for us to look at the players in another Test match setting,” said Townsend. “It’s a different team, different language challenges than we had in North America and we’re excited to see the group go out again.”

If the purpose of this tour is to find out if the new boys are up to it then Townsend is right to throw a little caution to the wind. Not that he can afford to be too gung-ho: defeat in Chile or in the final match against Uruguay would heap opprobrium upon him.

Scotland have never experienced a clean sweep of victories in a tour on his watch but that is what is expected this summer. Chile and Uruguay overcame the USA to qualify for last year’s Rugby World Cup so should theoretically pose a stiffer test but both are below the States in the world rankings. Townsend expects Chile to try to play more rugby than the Americans and believes they have improved since Scotland beat them 45-5 in an A international in Santiago in 2022.

Sale Sharks team-mates Arron Reed
and Gus Warr both return to the Scotland side to play Chile after each scored a try double on his debut against Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, on July 6. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images for Scottish Rugby)

“They’ve come on a lot and the experience they had at the World Cup would have been tremendous for them,” said the coach. “They’ll be a much tougher challenge than they were two years ago. The US were a physical team and I would say Chile would prefer to move the ball. They’ve got some great backs and I remember their 10 scored one of the great tries in world rugby against the US a couple of years ago.”

That score, by Rodrigo Fernández, was voted International Men’s Try of the Year in 2002 and the fly-half is likely to line up against the Scots. His direct rival will be Ben Healy who makes his first start of the tour and the Edinburgh 10 will be partnered by Gus Warr. Warr, like his Sale Sharks club-mate Arron Reed, is winning his second cap and both scored debut try doubles against the Canadians.

There is further experimentation in the backline as Kyle Steyn is moved from wing to outside centre where he takes over from Huw Jones. Steyn’s wing berth goes to Jamie Dobie who is primarily a scrum-half. The other centre is Sione Tuipulotu who continues as co-captain but shares the burden this week with Jamie Ritchie rather than Rory Darge who is on the bench.

A callow front row of Nathan McBeth, Dylan Richardson and Will Hurd have one, two and one cap(s) respectively. Ewan Johnson of Oyonnax makes his first Scotland start after coming off the bench against Canada and partners Alex Craig in the second row. Ritchie is joined in the back row by Gregor Brown, the Glasgow Warriors forward who also made his debut against Canada, and Bath No 8 Josh Bayliss.

It promises to be an occasion to remember for Harrison, the Peebles front-rower who has impressed Townsend.

“To play hooker at Test level you’ve got to make sure the set-piece is at a high level and he’s worked so hard on that, his throwing-in in particular,” said the coach. “He’s good size to be able to handle the scrums and the physical side of the game and that’s what he relishes, those contacts.

“He’s a skilful player too, a very direct runner. He played at centre for most of his youth rugby so his handling and running line are very good but he’ll run hard and he’ll tackle hard and he’s really impressed us at training.”

Scotland team (v Chile, Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Saturday, 8pm BST)

Kyle Rowe; Jamie Dobie, Kyle Steyn (vice-capt), Sione Tuipulotu (co-capt), Arron Reed; Ben Healy, Gus Warr; Nathan McBeth, Dylan Richardson, Will Hurd, Alex Craig, Ewan Johnson, Gregor Brown, Jamie Ritchie (co-capt), Josh Bayliss.

Replacements: Patrick Harrison, Pierre Schoeman, Javan Sebastian, Max Williamson, Rory Darge, Adam Hastings, Stafford McDowall, Matt Currie.