Darcy Graham will earn his 50th cap this weekend as Scotland take on Argentina in the third round of the Quilter Nations Series. It’s a milestone that feels fitting for a player who has become one of the side’s most reliable finishers and is currently stuck in a ding-dong battle for all-time top try-scorer with Duhan Van Der Merwe, who returns this week with a place on the bench. Graham made his debut in 2018 and scored a hat-trick in the 52–29 win against Argentina two years ago.
In the starting XV, Gregor Townsend has kept changes to a minimum after a mixed showing against New Zealand, where Scotland once again found themselves ruing chances in a match that felt like another one that slipped through their fingers. Not playing for a half of rugby then clawing your way back to parity only to then wilt badly when most needed is sadly par for the course.
The only alteration sees vice-captain Rory Darge return at openside flanker, with Matt Fagerson moving to the bench after Scotland were often exposed at the breakdown by the All Blacks.
Jack Dempsey continues at Number 8 for a third straight outing, flanked by Darge and the excellent Gregor Brown. Scott Cummings and Grant Gilchrist form a familiar second-row partnership, while the front row remains an all-Edinburgh unit of Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman and D’arcy Rae. The latter pair probably deserve an apology after very useful showings last week (Schoeman was his usual good-to-great).
In the back division, Kyle Steyn keeps his place after crossing against the All Blacks, joining Graham on the wings with Blair Kinghorn again at full-back. Rory Hutchinson and captain Sione Tuipulotu again line up together in the centres, with Finn Russell and Ben White steering things from half-back.
Finn Russell was in plenty of strapping last week but has been passed fit to start. Zander Fagerson has not, yet, so Eliot Millar-Mills sits the bench again. He put in some good carries last week.
This time, Townsend has gone for a 5–3 bench split against an Argentina side buoyed by a 52–28 win over Steve Tandy’s Wales. George Turner moves a step closer to his own half-century of caps, while Nathan McBeth, Elliot Millar Mills and Josh Bayliss retain their places among the forwards. Jamie Dobie and Tom Jordan again cover the backs, and Duhan van der Merwe returns to the matchday squad after missing last week, having reached his own 50-cap landmark in the opening win over the USA.
No place for either Max Williamson or Andy Onyeama-Christie though. If not now, when?
Scotland: Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham, Rory Hutchinson, Sione Tuipulotu (capt), Kyle Steyn, Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, D’arcy Rae, Scott Cummings, Grant Gilchrist, Gregor Brown, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: George Turner, Nathan McBeth, Elliot Millar Mills, Josh Bayliss, Matt Fagerson, Jamie Dobie, Tom Jordan, Duhan van der Merwe.