Five major talking points from Scotland team to play Fiji

Townsend selected virtually a full-strength side from the players available with the Scotland head coach only able to select domestic players - plus Sharks' Dylan Richardson, who was afforded special dispensation. 

Sione Tuipulotu will captain Scotland for the first time since being announced as the permanent skipper last week but there’s no place in the squad for his younger brother Mosese.

The biggest selection call was at scrum-half with Townsend opting for veteran Ali Price over George Horne, despite the latter being an integral part of a successful Glasgow Warriors side.

READ MORE: Scotland team named for Fiji opener at Murrayfield

Adam Hastings starts at fly-half in Finn Russell’s absence with nine Warriors stars - including an all-Glasgow back-row - in the starting line-up with six Edinburgh players. Fiji’s squad will be solely picked from Super Rugby side Fijian Drua and they will be without their star players with only six selected from their World Cup quarter-final. But despite facing reigning world champions South Africa next weekend, Townsend has gone full strength and here’s five things we learned from his press conference. 

Gregor Townsend has named an incredibly strong Scotland line-up to face Fiji in the first Autumn Nations Series test at Murrayfield on Saturday.  Townsend selected virtually a full-strength side from the players available with the Scotland head coach only able to select domestic players - plus Sharks' Dylan Richardson, who was afforded special dispensation. 

Sione Tuipulotu will captain Scotland for the first time since being announced as the permanent skipper last week but there’s no place in the squad for his younger brother Mosese. The biggest selection call was at scrum-half with Townsend opting for veteran Ali Price over George Horne, despite the latter being an integral part of a successful Glasgow Warriors side.

Adam Hastings starts at fly-half in Finn Russell’s absence with nine Warriors stars - including an all Glasgow back-row - in the starting line-up with six Edinburgh players. Fiji’s squad will be solely picked from Super Rugby side Fijian Drua and they will be without their star players with only six selected from their World Cup quarter-final. But despite facing reigning world champions South Africa next weekend, Townsend has gone full strength and here’s five things we learned from his press conference. 

The scrum-half conundrum 

Townsend’s decision to start Price at scrum-half is undoubtedly the most contentious call given Horne’s form for Glasgow. Horne has been completely left out of the squad with his Glasgow teammate Jamie Dobie selected on the bench - Ben White will be in contention next week. But Townsend insists that despite Edinburgh’s considerable struggles in the URC, Price is Scotland’s most in-form No.9. 

On whether Price could recapture the form that made him a British and Irish Lion, Townsend said: “Well, yes. I think that might be the individual ambition of a number of our players this year. Ali played all three test matches, starting two of them. He's really started the season in great form and he's a very, very good passer. His kicking game has always been good and it was excellent in that Lions tour - those are two fundamentals of playing nine. The other aspects are making sure you get to the breakdown, you get the ball away quickly and you contribute defensively. And he's done that really well this season. So right now he's the scrum half that we feel is in the best form and can help us win at the weekend. And the opportunity is his to go and grab and continue to play and start for us over the next few weeks.”

Kyle Rowe’s form 

Rowe will start against Fiji at full-back with Blair Kinghorn unavailable until next weekend against the Springboks. Rowe started in that position against Wales in the Six Nations but Kinghorn is almost certain to start against South Africa. Rowe, however, has the opportunity to stake his claim to start on the wing as he’s pushing Duhan van der Merwe and Darcie Graham due to his excellent form for Glasgow. 

Asked whether Rowe was Scotland’s most in-form winger, Townsend replied. “You definitely could say that. But he's fitted in really well at full-back for us and for Glasgow. He started at full-back down in Cardiff in an excellent game and it was his first start for Scotland. He's played a few times for us at full-back and he's just growing in influence. We often, after training sessions, talk about Kyle and how well he's trained - his movement, his decisions, and seeing that more and more come out in games, getting more touches on the ball. He is a quality player. And to come back after being out for a year and having to leave London Irish because they went bust, it's been great to see him now really in the selection mix for wing and we’re excited that he’s playing full-back.”

Jamie Ritchie omission 

Ritchie is the most experienced Scottish-based player to be left out of the squad to face Fiji. The former Scotland captain hasn’t been in great form for Edinburgh and Townsend admits there’s no injury factor behind his absence. 

“It's a selection call,” Townsend admitted. “We wanted to see Gregor Brown play this week off the bench. I think the Glasgow back row are in real form. So Jamie's competing with Rory (Darge), who is the vice-captain at openside and obviously Matt (Fagerson) at blindside.  It allows Jamie to focus on next week and he can really compete with others to be in the squad for South Africa.”

Fiji test

Despite missing their star players, Townsend is refusing to underestimate the Fijians especially after they produced an outstanding display to beat Japan 41-17 last month. “This will be a very tough test match,” Townsend insisted.

“Eleven out of 15 of this squad beat Japan by scoring 40 points - they've had a great summer. This is a tougher test because we're playing against a cohesive Fijian team that have been together for five or six tests they played in the summer. We've got a responsibility to win test matches and put out what we believe is our strongest team to do that.”

Gregor Brown’s versatility

Brown has risen to prominence at Glasgow across the last 18 months and he’s been named on the bench after making his Scotland debut in the summer with his versatility an asset.

On his strongest position, Townsend said: "Probably to start at test level, it would be blindside flanker. The real attributes there are to be the hard-working, big tackle count, good ball-carrying player that can also add to the line-out. But if he has to move to the second row, like he's already done at test level, then he can do that.”

Scotland: Kyle Rowe, Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (captain), Duhan van der Merwe, Adam Hastings, Ali Price; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey

Replacements: Dylan Richardson, Rory Sutherland, D'Arcy Rae, Max Williamson, Gregor Brown, Jamie Dobie, Tom Jordan, Stafford McDowall

Fiji: Isaiah Ravula; Vuate Karawalevu, Apisalome Vota, Inia Tabuavou, Ponipate Loganimasi, Caleb Muntz, Frank Lomani; Haereiti Hetet, Tevita Ikanivere (captain), Samuela Tawake, Isoa Nasilasila, Ratu Leone Rotuisolia, Ratu Meli Derenalagi, Kitione Salawa, Elia Canakaivata 

Replacements: Mesulame Dolokoto, Livai Natave, Jone Koroiduadua, Mesake Vocevoce, Vilive Miramira, Simi Kuruvoli, Kemueli Valetini, Waqa Nalaga