International
Scotland Ring Changes for Georgian Test
Scotland have made a total of ten changes as they prepare to face Georgia in a World Cup warm-up game
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has made 10 changes to his side from the one that faced France last weekend for this weekend’s clash with Georgia.
Centre Sam Johnson returns to the line-up for the first time in these warm-up games and is joined by Rory Hutchinson who is making his first start for the Scots.
Townsend is delighted to welcome Johnson back and is expecting a tough test in Tbilisi on Saturday.
“We’re pleased to welcome Sam back into the side having performed so well for us in the spring, while a number of other players also get the opportunity to build on Saturday’s performance. There were improvements in our back-to-back games against France, in particular in defence, game management and at scrum, as well some elements of our attack. All of these will be put to the test against a very good Georgian side who we expect to be extremely motivated by their passionate home support. We’re expecting a very physical and confrontational encounter, which will be a great test for our squad. In order to rise to this challenge, we must take the game to our hosts right from the start, playing with relentless effort and accuracy,” he said.
In the front-row Stuart McInally captains the side from hooker and will have WP Nel and Allen Dell either side of him, while Ben Toolis and Grant Gilchrist begin in the engine room.
There is a powerful back-row in place as John Barclay and Hamish Watson start on the flanks either side of Matt Fagerson who opens at No 8.
Greig Laidlaw and Finn Russell are the half-back partnership, with Johnson and Hutchinson outside them in the centre.
Sean Maitland continues on the left-wing, while Darcy Graham comes in on the right for the injured Tommy Seymour and Blair Kinghorn finishes the XV from full-back in what is a first start of the season for the Edinburgh man.
Scotland’s trip to Tbilisi is the first ever visit to Georgia by a tier one country and will be the final chance for many players to try and earn a place on the plane to Japan for the Rugby World Cup with Townsend set to name his squad on September 3rd.
Scotland open up their World Cup campaign with a clash against Ireland on September 22nd where they will hope to make a good start in a bid to progress to the quarter finals of the competition.
Check Out the Full 23-Man Squad Below.
Starting XV:
15. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 13 caps
14. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh) – 5 caps
13. Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints) – 2 caps
12. Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 caps
11. Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 41 caps
10. Finn Russell (Racing 92) – 44 caps
9. Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne) 72 caps
1. Allan Dell (London Irish) – 23 caps
2. Stuart McInally (captain – Edinburgh) – 28 caps
3. Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 30 caps
4. Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) – 19 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 35 caps
6. John Barclay (Edinburgh) – 73 caps
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) – 26 caps
8. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 caps
Replacements:
16. Grant Stewart (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap
17. Jamie Bhatti (Edinburgh) – 14 caps
18. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps
19. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) – 2 caps
20. Josh Strauss (Blue Bulls) – 23 caps
21. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 25 caps
22. Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – 12 caps
23. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 22 caps
Eddie Jones admits the Wallabies are in the chasing pack but still close enough to catch the favourites and win September’s Rugby World Cup.
Jones, after a 15-minute technical glitch, gave his first wide-ranging interview from England on Thursday after his shock appointment on Monday.
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He said the battle to wear the No.10 jersey in France was wide open, touched on the side’s ill-discipline and current eligibility laws, assessed the health of the code in Australia and had a neat return-of-serve to rugby league powerbroker Peter V’landys in the latest code-war chapter.
But when asked if he genuinely thought the inconsistent world No.6 side could win the World Cup this year, he was serious.
“There’s no long term; the whole thing is to win the World Cup in 2023,” said Jones, who is on a five-year contract.
“We have to concentrate on areas that will make the biggest difference to the performance of the team and we have to get selection right.
“And we’ve got to create an environment where players are going to give that little bit more, because nobody knows how much they can give.”
Jones will have just five Tests to prepare his men before the Cup and he turned to racing parlance to assess the current power rankings.
He says feels there’s still time for the field to settle with the team who improves the most between now and October set for victory.
“At the moment France and Ireland, in a horse race they’re at the front on the top of the rise,” he said.
“But there’s still plenty of work to do.
“Australia and England are nestled behind them and the team that improves the most over the next nine months will win the World Cup.
“This is the most intriguing World Cup we’ve ever seen.
“Throw in the volatility of the refereeing at the moment with red and yellow cards.
“You’ve got all these things happening that give us this massive opportunity.”
He said every player would have a chance to “select themselves” in club rugby and that replacing Rennie before his contract was to expire at the end of this year wasn’t in his control.
“I wasn’t thinking, ‘I can do this better than Dave, or, I’m a better person’, it’s not that at all,” he said.
“It’s the fact that there was an opportunity there that as an Australian when you get a chance to coach your country you want to do it, mate.”
In a boost for James O’Connor’s hopes after he was cut from Rennie’s extended squad, Jones said he’d base selection on Super Rugby Pacific form and keep an eye on his foreign-based playmakers.
But Jones admits time isn’t on his side when it comes to settling on a preferred partnership, with rival five-eighth Quade Cooper’s recovery from an Achilles tear counting against him.
“We are going to have to decide quite quickly who we think are the best nines and tens and 12s, particularly, to try and build up that cohesion,” he said.
Content & Images from – Australia Rugby
Ollie Hassell-Collins will make his England debut at left wing, Max Malins returns to the side at right wing and Freddie Steward is named at full back.
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Owen Farrell captains the side from inside centre and is joined in the midfield by Joe Marchant. Marcus Smith is at fly-half with Jack van Poortvliet at scrum half.
The front row is made up of vice-captain Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler with Jamie George at hooker. Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum start at lock, while Ben Curry makes his second appearance for England at open-side flanker. Lewis Ludlam and Alex Dombrandt complete the back row.
Jack Walker is in line to make his England debut after being named as a substitute, Anthony Watson could make a first England appearance since March 2021, and if Dan Cole comes off the bench he will earn a 96th Test cap.
Mako Vunipola, Nick Isiekwe, Ben Earl, Ben Youngs and Ollie Lawrence make up the remaining replacements.
“There are few fixtures in the rugby calendar that excite both players and supporters alike more than the annual Six Nations meeting of the Auld enemy as they battle for the honour of lifting the Calcutta Cup,” said Borthwick.
“Another packed Twickenham will witness the start of the next chapter of English rugby in one of the most keenly contested tournaments in the world. There is no doubt this England team shares the supporters’ sense of eager anticipation.
“To a man, the players are determined to play with the commitment, fight and desire that is at the very heart of representing England, the sort of passion that our tremendous supporters rightly expect.”
England Match Day Squad
Starting
15. Freddie Steward
14. Max Malins
13. Joe Marchant
12. Owen Farrell (C)
10. Marcus Smith
1. Ellis Genge (VC)
2. Jamie George
4. Maro Itoje
6. Lewis Ludlam
7. Ben Curry
Replacements
16. Jack Walker
17. Mako Vunipola
18. Dan Cole
19. Nick Isiekwe
20. Ben Earl
21. Ben Youngs
22. Ollie Lawrence
23. Anthony Watson
Head coach Gregor Townsend has named his squad to face England in the opening fixture of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations this Saturday as Scotland bid to retain the Calcutta Cup.
Leading his side in the championship for the first time, blindside flanker Jamie Ritchie is joined at openside by Luke Crosbie, whose excellent recent form is rewarded with a second start for Scotland, with Matt Fagerson completing the back row.
In the second row, the experienced Richie Gray and Grant Gilchrist, who is named as Vice Captain, resume a partnership that impressed during last year’s Autumn Nations Series.
Pierre Schoeman starts at loosehead prop in what is a 17th consecutive international since his 2021 debut, with the evergreen WP Nel – who reached 50 caps in November – selected at tighthead and George Turner named at hooker.
In the back division, scrum-half Ben White will link up with stand-off Finn Russell, a year on from his try-scoring debut in the Calcutta Cup at BT Murrayfield.
Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones are named as a centre pairing, the former having scored his first tries for Scotland in November’s win over Argentina, with the latter having notched no fewer than four tries against England in as many games against them.
In the back three, Scotland’s record try-scorer Stuart Hogg continues at full-back, with Duhan van der Merwe and Kyle Steyn lining up on the wings.
Townsend has selected a bench with a 5-3 split between forwards and backs, with Glasgow Warriors clubmates Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, Simon Berghan and Jack Dempsey, alongside Jonny Gray, listed as pack replacements. George Horne, Blair Kinghorn and Chris Harris complete the matchday squad as substitute options.
Scotland team to face England in the Guinness Six Nations opener on Saturday, 4 February at Twickenham, kick-off 4.45pm, live on STV and ITV
15. Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) 96 caps
14. Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 5 caps
13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 31 caps
12. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 11 caps
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 23 caps
10. Finn Russell (Racing 92) 65 caps
9. Ben White (London Irish) 9 caps
1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 16 caps
2. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 30 caps
3. WP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) 50 caps
4. Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 69 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) – Vice Captain – 59 caps
6. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) – Captain – 36 caps
7. Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby) 2 caps
8. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 28 caps
Replacements
16. Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) 57 caps
17. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) 25 caps
18. Simon Berghan (Glasgow Warriors) 31 caps
19. Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs) 72 caps
20. Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) 4 caps
21. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 18 caps
22. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) 38 caps
23. Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby) 39 caps
Tickets for Scotland’s match against Italy at BT Murrayfield in the Guinness Six Nations on Saturday 18 March are still available HERE
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