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Four Premiership players named as Scotland make six XV changes

(Photo by Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)

Gregor Townsend has unveiled a Scotland team showing six changes to take on Fiji this Saturday at BT Murrayfield a week after their agonising one-point loss to Australia in their Autumn Nations Series opener. The Scots had chosen an all-local based match day 23 as that game against the Wallabies took place outside the player release window.

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With players based outside of Scotland now available and with last weekend’s starting second row Sam Skinner ruled out of the remainder of the series with a foot injury, Townsend has included four Gallagher Premiership players in the starting team while his bench sees three English-based players and one Irish-based player named.

All four of the new faces from the Premiership come in the back division. Scotland’s record try-scorer Stuart Hogg of Exeter makes a first appearance of the season at full-back in place of Ollie Smith and Gloucester’s Adam Hastings returns to feature at fly-off with Blair Kinghorn benched.

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A new centre partnership sees Gloucester’s Chris Harris, who is named as a vice-captain, link up with Bath’s Cameron Redpath, who is earning a first cap at BT Murrayfield following two away game appearances.

Meanwhile, the pack has two changes with Richie Gray returning to the international fold for a first start since 2017 in place of the injured Skinner and George Turner coming in at hooker for Dave Cherry, who has been replaced in the squad by Fraser Brown after picking up a hamstring injury in training.

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Rookie tighthead prop Murphy Walker is poised for a Test debut from a bench that includes the English-based Ewan Ashman of Sale, Exeter’s Jonny Gray and London Irish’s Ben While along with recent Ulster signing Rory Sutherland. Jack Dempsey, the Australian who played off the bench for the first time for Scotland last weekend, is the only sub named again amongst this weekend’s much-changed replacements.

Scotland (vs Fiji, Saturday)
15. Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) 93 caps
14. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby) 30 caps
13. Chris Harris – Vice Captain – (Gloucester Rugby) 36 caps
12. Cameron Redpath (Bath Rugby) 2 caps
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 20 caps
10. Adam Hastings (Gloucester Rugby) 26 caps
9. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) 55 caps
1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 13 caps
2. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 28 caps
3. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 51 caps
4. Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 67 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist – Vice Captain – (Edinburgh Rugby) 56 caps
6. Jamie Ritchie – Captain – (Edinburgh Rugby) 33 caps
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) 52 caps
8. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 25 caps

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Replacements
16. Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks) 4 caps
17. Rory Sutherland (Ulster Rugby) 20 caps
18. Murphy Walker (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped
19. Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs) 69 caps
20. Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) 1 cap
21. Ben White (London Irish) 6 caps
22. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) 35 caps
23. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 8 caps

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P
PL 55 minutes ago
Lions Tour Aussie takes: Bigger is better, the stars who failed to fire

I find it interesting that journalists who have done nothing in rugby comment on selections & coaching like they are experts

Concussive injury’s will remove insurance cover from the game unless their is strict application of the laws designed to remove MND Parkinson’s and CTE from the game


Head on head I saw red to Adam Coleman as tackler for Irish while unconscious on a stretcher - concussions occur without twitching on the ground or the wobbly boot - I know I had maybe 20 from rugby


The officiating of last feet is non existent

The lack of effective wrap by Lions front rower & that decision had a close relationship with ordure in a toilet

A head on head tackle red for Coleman not even penalty lead to a try in a phase or 2


Powys v Evans lead to a £> 2 mill verdict against the ref personally special leveraged to Hiuse of Lords

Refs will stop reffing with no insurance then no game


About 5 years ago 4 or 5 French colts died from head hits in elite club games - that led to below sternum law - hamlets honoured in breach not observance

Last feet non existent - enforcement favour flowing rugby nor lions meat grinder forwards get momentum and puck & drive NZ Vowel noise


The UK Class Action could be very well be lost WRC will try every dirty trick in case they already used dial a neuros to argue the unarguable is law gossip


I reffed ref coached & assessed for ruffly 17 seasons


The application of laws is like a zig zag on speed

Line out laws not enforced scrums tight pulling loose down one side mirror on other side elbow pointing to ground stretch marks on jersey

Der moment the refs need to go Soec Savers

My bet unless they stop lack of intestinal fortitude game management


Yellow every time head contact or above sternum


Needs sterner GMGs material impact removed set piece caterpillar remove

Last feet to last feet + 1 m


When I reffed I kept them well apart - hated me till they got over yellow and they actually had fun & complemented me post game backs had room and pick and drive had momentum


As for intentional foul play like tackle in air auto red no replacement 100,000 fine player 250,000 club


Treble it for international 26 week suspension & it’s disappear over night

25 were scrum for dissent


Penalty all this rubbish shots at opponents after error


All the s.ite would disappear


The pathetic unsportsmanlike behaviour would lead to standards


Remember Les Boyd’s penalty re Brohman -if that is the way we treat foul play but while foul play with potential serious injury with a feather duster like we are the game is destined to no insurance following that no refs cause would you risk bankruptcy like Powys v Evans

1 Go to comments
S
Soliloquin 2 hours ago
Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France

For Fischer, many people in France are still doubting him - it’s the first time he has a full season (31 games). Before, he was always injured at some point. He’s 27, so not the youngest, and you have a younger Boudehent or Jégou behind.

His physicality is incredible, but he didn’t prove he’s got hands. He just proved he was able to defend like a beast.

But you know, even Cros has improved his handling skills lately, so it’s never too late!

And he will play the Champions Cup with a solid Bayonne side, so let’s see!


I don’t agree with ‘only Fischer’: Brennan proved he’s a great 4/7 utility player, and Galthié likes those very much (Woki or Flament). He’s 23, playing for Toulouse with high concurrence, so the prospect is good. I rate him higher than Auradou, who had a few games in the 6 Nations.

For Depoortère, he had a more silent season than the previous one - injured at the worst moment during the Autumn Tests series - but came back strong with a Champions Cup and a solid partnership with Moefana. What could save him would be to start playing as a 12 when Moefana isn’t there, bulking up and become the new Jauzion.

But he’s 22 and an incredible talent at 13. His height makes me think he had more potential than your fan favorite Costes or the utility player that is Gailleton.


As for Montagne or Mallez, with the lack of quality in props, they could find a spot!

Especially Mallez who’s got a good spot to get behind Baille at Toulouse. Neti isn’t the youngest and hasn’t an international level.


And again, as Ugo Mola said, you never play with your best team.

So 30-32 player is more of a 38-40, so you need back-ups.

France knows very well how useful they can be during RWCs.

237 Go to comments
S
Soliloquin 2 hours ago
Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France

Hastoy was a good prospect before the 2023 RWC, he was the fly-half who led La Rochelle to the victory in the Champions Cup final in Dublin against Leinster.

But he made it to the squad only because Ntamack got his ACL.

He played against Uruguay, which a terribly poor game by the French side, and since then he declined a bit, alongside his club.

Under the pressure of Reus and West at 10, he regained some credit at the end of the season (among all a drop at the 81st minute of a game).

He’s quite good everywhere, but not outstanding.

He doesn’t have the nerves, the defense and the tactical brain of Ntamack, the leadership and the creativity of Ramos or the exceptional attacking skills of Jalibert.


I really hope that:

-Ntamack will get his knee back. The surgery went well. He wasn’t the most elusive player in the world, but he was capable of amazing rushes like the one against NZ in 2021 or the Brennus-winning try in 2023.

-Jalibert will continue to improve his defense. He started working hard since March (after his defensive disaster against England) with a XIII specialist, and I’ve seen great moments, especially against Ntamack in the SF of the Champions Cup. It’s never too late. And it would be a great signal for Galthié.

-Hastoy will build up his partnership with Le Garrec, that La Rochelle will start a new phase with them and Niniashvili, Alldritt, Atonio, Boudehent, Jegou, Bosmorin, Bourgarit, Nowell, Wardi, Daunivucu, Kaddouri, Pacôme…

237 Go to comments
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