These two nations haven’t played each other since their 2018 encounter in Houston where the result was only finally decided with the last kick of the game – a missed Scottish conversion that handed the USA a 30-29 victory.
There are relatively few survivors from that match six years ago. Dylan Fawsitt, Greg Peterson, AJ McGinty, Nate Augspurger, Paul Mullen and Bryce Campbell are in place again for the home side.
Adam Hastings, George Horne and Matt Fagerson return for the Scots – the latter two made their Test debuts in 2018 against the Eagles while Hastings had won his first cap a week earlier.
The visitors have changed their entire starting XV from the win over Canada – the first time that Gregor Townsend has opted to do so during his tenure – and there are 397 caps in the line-up compared to the 58 mustered by last week’s selection.
![USA vs Scotland head-to-heads: the backs]()
USA vs Scotland head-to-heads: the backs (Image: Kevin Millar)
It’s all about partnerships in the Scottish backline, including the return of Hornstings at half back. The 9 and 10 combo have started together 22 times for club and country, although not since August 2020 for Glasgow and since October 2019 for Scotland.
They combined twice on the 2018 tour and anyone who watched them dismantle Argentina a week after the loss to USA would find it hard to believe they would only go on to start as a pair once for the national side in the next six years.
Hastings’ opportunities have been hit by injuries – he has only played 64 minutes of rugby for Scotland since he left Glasgow in the summer of 2021 – while Horne’s primary role for the dark blues has been as a replacement.
Outside them, Huwipulotu is now the most selected centre pairing of the Townsend era with 14 matches together overtaking the Sam Johnson / Chris Harris axis.
The dynamic duo have only lost one of the nine games they have started together in the centres since the end of the 2023 RWC. Frankly, if the ball had been spun wide on the last play against France, instead of clung onto by the forwards, the Tuipulotu part of the partnership would almost certainly have had a walk-in and their recent record would be nine from nine...
The third combo is Kyle Steyn and Duhan van der Merwe who have been wing twins in 13 of Scotland’s last 20 Tests. At least one of them has featured in each of the national side’s 47 matches played since February 2020, during which time they have scored 38 tries between them.
Greg Peterson’s presence in the Eagles’ pack brings the number of URC title winners involved in this game to 13.
During his short-term deal with Glasgow for the first half of the season, the giant lock started alongside Scott Cummings on a couple of occasions so their head-to-head should make for an interesting battle.
Unlike the backs, there will be all new units operating for Scotland. Pierre Schoeman will need to get used to a different propping partner. In his previous 27 starts he has only ever had either Zander Fagerson (24 times) or WP Nel (three times) alongside him in the number 3 jersey.
There’s a contrasting pairing in the second row. Scott Cummings has only missed one of Scotland’s previous 17 Tests – the game against Canada a week ago – while Alex Craig has had to wait more than three years since his most recent cap and will start an international for the first time.
They won’t be completely unfamiliar to each other though, having packed down together at lock for parts of Scotland’s under 20s campaign in 2016.
The back row boasts 116 caps but this will be the first time the three players have all started together.
The only time during the Townsend era that there has been a more inexperienced Scotland bench was for the game against Canada in summer 2018 (48 caps).
Low as it is, the replacements’ tally is rather inflated by just one man. Rory Sutherland has more appearances for the national side than the rest of the subs combined – 31 vs 23.
US forward Saia Uhila will make his Test debut at the grand old age of 37. He will be the oldest man on the pitch when he takes to the field as the only player born in the 1980s in either squad.
Officials
Referee: Jordan Way (Australia); Assistant Referees: Adam Leal (England) and Robin Kaluzniak (Canada); TMO: Chris Assmus (Canada)
Australian referee Way has been a fixture on the 7s circuit since 2016 and will be heading to the Paris Olympics in a couple of weeks' time.
He was an assistant for two of Scotland’s fixtures during the Rugby World Cup in France. He also filled the same role for the match against France in the Six Nations, although, as the most junior member of the officiating team, he didn’t really involve himself in the mess the ref and TMO got themselves into at the end of that game.
This will be his first time refereeing a Test match involving a tier one nation as the Australian official continues to step up his career, with the World Cup in his home country in 2027 surely a big target
World Rugby rankings watch
Current world rankings: 18 USA (66.01) v 6 Scotland (82.82)
Another week and another match where it’s not possible for Scotland to gain any world ranking points. Defeat would be hugely costly though, with the Scots in line to lose the maximum possible – either 2.00 points for a loss by 15 or fewer, or 3.00 points for a loss by 16 or more.
The dark blues currently lie sixth in the world. Holding that position at the end of next year could be very significant as it would place them among the top tier of seeds for the 2027 World Cup. That would bring with it the chance to potentially avoid the best five sides in the world until deep into the tournament.
Miscellany
- The starting XV for the game against Canada made seven appearances during the 2024 Six Nations (five players). The starting XV against USA made 50 appearances during the 2024 Six Nations (12 players).
- There will be one man involved in this encounter who played in Gregor Townsend’s first game in charge of Scotland (against Italy in Singapore back in 2017), just not for the dark blues… Tommaso Boni started in the number 12 jersey for the Azzurri in that match, going head-to-head with Alex Dunbar, but has since completed his stand-down period and qualified to play for the US.
- More than three years have passed since Scotland started a lighter pack.
- Jamie Ritchie wins his 50th cap. He is just the seventh man to make 50 appearances in the back-row for Scotland after John Barclay (76); Simon Taylor (66); Jason White (64); Kelly Brown (64); Hamish Watson (59); and Ryan Wilson (50). Ritchie is still only 27 and even in a competitive position like flanker there is a strong chance of him overhauling all of those players.
- The starting XV have scored 88 Test tries. At one try for every 4.5 caps that makes this the most potent scoring lineup selected during the Townsend era.
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