Sutherland and Darge out of squad as Scotland call up four players
Scotland have lost Rory Sutherland and Rory Darge to injury ahead of their clash with Australia on Sunday. Uncapped Glasgow flanker Darge did not feature in Scotland’s emphatic win over Tonga on Saturday while British and Irish Lions prop Sutherland was absent as Worcester beat Sale due to a muscle injury.
When asked about both Darge and Sutherland, Scotland defence coach Steve Tandy said: “The medics are still doing a couple of things and we don’t have exact timelines but it might be a struggle for the autumn.”
Edinburgh forward Magnus Bradbury, a late call-up to the squad last week, and winger Damien Hoyland have also dropped out after not featuring against Tonga.
Three uncapped props – Northampton’s Nick Auterac, Javan Sebastian of Scarlets and versatile Wasps forward Robin Hislop – have been added to the squad. They had all been called up to Scotland’s squad for the ill-fated summer tour which saw all three games cancelled. Tandy added: “They have been performing really well for their clubs, so it’s really good to get them in camp.
“Some of the boys were in in the summer and a lot of the coaches spoke really highly of them, so to get them back in again is really good for us. They are coming in to be part of the environment and if they are part of the environment then they are available for selection. We have brought them in to have a real look at them and be part of that selection process.”
Glasgow lock Scott Cummings also comes in but is unavailable for selection following surgery on a hand injury last month. Tandy is relishing the prospect of trying to keep Dave Rennie’s side Australian side quiet but he stressed Scotland would be looking to take the game to their visitors after racking up 10 tries against Tonga. “They are in great form and have played a lot of tough rugby over the last few months,” Tandy said of the tourists.
“They play some really good football. They are averaging 30 points a game, three tries, so we know defensively we are going to be really tested. But it’s an exciting opportunity for us. We did really well in the Six Nations defensively and we know we are going to have to be on point.
“We are at home, we have a sell-out crowd and we want to express ourselves and take hold of the game. We know the Aussies will have the ball for long periods as well but we want to play our own style and we want the ball.
“We have had a good balance over the last couple of years. When we haven’t got it, it’s about getting back as quickly as we can, and when we have got it, it’s making sure we can build pressure and hopefully score points.”
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Brett, from my distant perspective, I hope you get to keep the Rebels. Any ideas of teams from Japan or Argentina are just crazy. Won’t happen. If you look at logistics, it is much easier to get to LA from Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney than to Buenos Aires. All with direct non-stop daily flights. You may even get some “gringos” to watch the games, with some younger players compared to Giteau and Nonu who still “play” in the area. I think it is virtually impossible to get a competitive Argie team for SR. All Pumas are in Europe, almost all second tier players are also in Europe. Fringe players are in South American pro rugby tournament (and many still in the MLR!) but these players who might be most interested in joining a new Jaguares do not have the skills to compete. As I have been saying since the Jaguares joined, they should have had TWO teams to make logistics for visiting teams better and Argie player development improved as well. Jaguares/Pumas was not ideal. But this is where Pichot and his cronies did not think long enough. Further the country with he new president “No hay Plata” Milei is in a very difficult situation. Galperin, the richest man in Argentina owns the Miami franchise of MLR. I don’t think you can get him to invest in Argentina. Actually, he played rugby himself. He was a fly half. He is worth around $6 billion!
Go to commentsWell done Baby Boks we will take the Draw. No 9 senseless long passes in those conditions. let’s move on and hope for some good weather
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