Head coach Gregor Townsend has made four changes to Scotland’s starting line-up for their second Pool B fixture at Rugby World Cup 2023, with Kyle Steyn, Chris Harris, Rory Sutherland and Scott Cummings all named to face Tonga in Nice on Sunday.
Kyle Steyn will replace Darcy Graham in the starting lineup and will have great memories of playing against Tonga, scoring four tries in November 2021 during a 60-14 victory. While Graham drops to the bench, Duhan van der Merwe will be hoping to add to his impressive record of 20 tries in 32 caps.
In the centre Chris Harris will be wearing the 13 jersey again for the first time since Scotland’s triumph over Italy in the summer. Sione Tuipulotu gets his fifth start at inside centre while his regular partner Huw Jones drops to the bench.
In the forwards, Lion Rory Sutherland comes in at loosehead for Pierre Schoeman while Scott Cummings replaces Grant Gilchrist in the second row. The back row is unchanged from the opener against South Africa while Ewan Ashman comes on to the bench after Dave Cherry fell down the stairs and was sent home.
George Horne is also set to make his first appearance of the World Cup from the bench.
Scotland: Blair Kinghorn, Kyle Steyn, Chris Harris, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell, Ben White; Rory Sutherland, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Richie Gray, Scott Cummings, Jamie Ritchie (capt), Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Pierre Schoeman, WP Nel, Sam Skinner, Matt Fagerson, George Horne, Huw Jones, Darcy Graham
10 Responses
Bit surprised to see four changes as I thought we’d go full strength and then rest/rotate v Romania.
Gilchrist not in 23 which might suggest an injury. Harris and Steyn in for Jones and Darcy. Sutherland in for Schoe. Good to see G Horne on the bench. The big question is whether or not Cummings’ skinny arms can deal with these big Tongan units. Horne, Jones and Graham off the bench should see some added zip in the second half if tries are needed to get the BP.
About right. Would prefer Rambo’s rhino runs, so let’s hope Turner won the line-out practice prize this week. And hope that Harris for Jones is first half only to stem the Tongan tide, because we need to do more than match muscle for muscle. We need to play our own fast game, not let opposition dictate style, as per against the Boks. Finn as VC must actively respond to events on the field (remember 38-38) if tactics on the board get jammed.
Harris? Bennett yes . Harris brings nothing!
I’m pretty happy with this team. Cummings looks to have beefed up a lot.
It’s a big physical line up with tempo on the bench.
Lots of players with a point to prove.
Did anyone else notice that while Angus Gardner and Ben Whitehouse weren’t bothered about obvious head shots or clear obstructions. They were very concerned with players changing placed in the lineout if they stepped to the side to go round each other. I’ve never really seen that interpretation before, or since. How much did this effect Scotland’s faltering lineout and jump timing?
What odds this was a suggestion from Rassie &co in their pre-game meeting with the officials?
Interesting take on the last match. No doubt the lineout is what cost us big time. The lads themselves even said it was nothing to do with South Africans contesting the lineout.
We all know that the draw screwed us over, but the more I look at it the more I feel that the schedule was a kick in the knackers as well. If Ireland beat South Africa and they share a couple of BPs, we’re functionally out of the tournament before we play our second game. Come Sunday, there will be five games left in the pool, and we’re in three of the them. Last thing you want after a slow start.
It was the ridiculously early seedings that screwed us over and left us completely exposed going into the draw which obviously turned out to be a shocker. A parting gift for the last hosts Japan to lock in seedings while they had scraped into the top 8 and we were 9th. I don’t have much respect for World Rugby when it comes to organising tournaments. There always seems to be some sort of shenanigans or incompetence e.g. fixture sequence and turnaround. Deciding to host the last RWC in Japan during monsoon season with no contingency plans in place was another clanger. At least Six nations organisers seem to do things more fairly and competently, albeit it is a smaller comp.
Yep, totally agree. Although Japan had their turn being screwed over in 2015, when they had to play us less than four days after the greatest result in their history. That was the only game they lost, and it was dangerous and insulting to even ask them to play two test matches against tier ones in that time frame.
Like you say, if I actively tried every year to screw some teams over, I couldn’t do a better job than world rugby. You just can’t coach that level of incompetence.
Yeah 100%. Japan were totally screwed over in 2015. I know how I’d feel if we had to play a tier one team days after beating SA. Just really poor again from WR.
Fingers crossed SA can beat Ireland tonight leaving it in our own hands and potentially a winner takes all last game against Ireland – which is the best we can hope for now.