Mosese Tuipulotu set for Scotland bow in A clash with Chile

Mosese Tuipulotu will get his first outing in a Scotland jersey when he starts for the Scotland A team in Saturday’s fixture against Chile at Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium.

The 23-year-old centre, younger brother of Scotland captain Sione, arrived in the Scottish capital from the Waratahs this summer and has featured in five of Edinburgh’s six URC matches so far, starting four.

He was named in Gregor Townsend’s squad for the Autumn Nations Series but has not featured in any of the match-day 23s against Fiji, South Africa and Australia.

Flanker Freddy Douglas, who made his Test debut as a replacement against Portugal before playing a senior game for Edinburgh, starts at openside alongside club-mates Ben Muncaster – another debutant against Portugal – and the uncapped Tom Dodd, who is named as one of two vice-captains along with Glasgow scrum-half Jamie Dobie.

Stafford McDowall, who led the full Test team against Portugal, will reprise his role as captain for the A fixture, almost certainly meaning the Glasgow centre will not be involved in Scotland’s final autumn Test against Australia on Sunday.

Eight players who featured in the Portugal game will start, including Sale wing Arron Reed - a double try-scorer against Os Lobos - at full-back, with Edinburgh centre Matt Currie deployed at right wing.

Dodd is one of five players from outside Townsend’s original 45-man autumn squad who will start against Chile, including three more Edinburgh players - wing Ross McCann, fly-half Ross Thompson and lock Marshall Sykes - plus Glasgow hooker Gregor Hiddleston.

The bench, Edinburgh’s capped No.10 Ben Healy aside, features a clutch of promising youngsters and Scotland Under-20 players including emerging Glasgow lock Jare Oguntibeju.

Scotland A XV

15. Arron Reed (Sale Sharks)

14. Matt Currie (Edinburgh Rugby)

13. Mosese Tuipulotu (Edinburgh Rugby)

12. Stafford McDowall CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors)

11. Ross McCann (Edinburgh Rugby)

10. Ross Thompson (Edinburgh Rugby)

9. Jamie Dobie VICE-CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors

1. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors)

2. Gregor Hiddleston (Glasgow Warriors)

3. D’Arcy Rae (Edinburgh Rugby)

4. Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh Rugby)

5. Ewan Johnson (Oyannax)

6. Tom Dodd VICE-CAPTAIN (Edinburgh Rugby)

7. Freddy Douglas (Edinburgh Rugby)

8. Ben Muncaster (Edinburgh Rugby)

Replacements

16. Harri Morris (Edinburgh Rugby)

17. Mikey Jones (Edinburgh Rugby)

18. Fin Richardson (Glasgow Warriors)

19. Jare Oguntibeju (Glasgow Warriors)

20. Liam McConnell (Edinburgh Rugby)

21. Ben Afshar (Glasgow Warriors)

22. Ben Healy (Edinburgh Rugby)

23. Jack Brown (Edinburgh Rugby)