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Scotland at full strength for clash with All Blacks
Scotland have named a near full-strength team to face New Zealand at Murrayfield on Saturday in the Nations Championship, making sweeping changes from their last Test. The selection signals the importance of the clash, with coach Gregor Townsend bringing back key players and making several close calls.
Only Gregor Brown and Rory Sutherland remain in the starting XV from Scotland’s 33-17 win over Fiji in July, with Brown moving to the second row. Huw Jones returns from injury to partner captain Sione Tuipulotu in midfield, Kyle Rowe is preferred to Blair Kinghorn at fullback, and Matt Fagerson returns from a groin injury. Scotland’s leading try scorers, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe, are absent from the matchday squad; 10 Glasgow Warriors players start.
In short
- Scotland made sweeping changes for Saturday’s New Zealand Test.
- Huw Jones and Matt Fagerson return to the starting side.
- Top try scorers Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe miss out.
Explained simply
Scotland and New Zealand are national rugby union teams, and Murrayfield in Edinburgh is Scotland’s home ground. The All Blacks is the long-standing nickname for New Zealand’s team, one of the leading sides in international rugby.
The Nations Championship is an international competition involving northern and southern hemisphere teams. Scotland are coached by Gregor Townsend, while Sione Tuipulotu leads the side as captain; their selection draws on players from several clubs, including Glasgow Warriors.
Matches between Scotland and New Zealand are a test of how Scotland’s team measures up against a major international opponent. The chosen line-up also shows which players Townsend has trusted for this fixture and how the team is balanced across the positions.