The attacking threats Scotland will face against Fiji in their Autumn Nations Series opener on Saturday are “unique” in world rugby, according to defence coach Steve Tandy.
Tandy is the man tasked with preparing Scotland’s defence for the visit of the Flying Fijians to Scottish Gas Murrayfield.
He believes the addition of the Fijian Drua to Super Rugby has helped the development of the national team, who qualified for the quarter-finals at last year’s Rugby World Cup.
Tandy said: "They've still got the threat of offloads and picks through the middle, but I think they've definitely added more of a kicking style to what they're doing now as well.
"They've got threats across the board.
“Something magical can happen as well. There might be something defensively where you look at it and you go, ‘well actually everyone's in the slot, everyone's doing their job’, but some amazing offload will come.
"They can pull an offload out that probably only one or two teams can do.
“They're super skilful, and again they've got unbelievable athletes, but also now I think they've got a structure around how they want to play too, so I think they're even better than they have been before, while still having all the firepower that goes with Fiji.”
While Tandy’s focus is on Scotland’s defence, Gregor Townsend does have one of his primary attacking weapons back with Darcy Graham available for the first time since the Rugby World Cup.
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The Edinburgh wing has endured a torrid 12 months with injury but has started five of Edinburgh’s first six games of the season.
“It's awesome to see him back,” Tandy said of the 27-year-old, who sits equal third on Scotland’s all-time scoring charts alongside Tony Stanger and Ian Smith.
Tandy added: “I think he's starting to hit his straps at Edinburgh as well, I think the last game he played [against Cardiff] he was outstanding.
“It's exciting to have him back in.”
Graham’s absence has provided opportunities for others – chiefly Kyle Steyn but also his Glasgow colleague Kyle Rowe and Sale’s Arron Reed, who won his first caps in the summer.
But with Reed unavailable this weekend and Steyn injured, Graham is in line to earn his first cap since the World Cup defeat to Ireland in Paris last October.
“You always miss a world class winger like Darcy,” Tandy said.
With only players from Edinburgh and Glasgow – and hooker Dylan Richardson, who has been allowed to play by his club side, The Sharks - available to face the Fijians, Tandy said the contrasting fortunes of the two clubs would have to be weighed up.
“Mindset and getting used to winning big games or big tournaments I think is massive,” he said, while offering hope to the Edinburgh contingent in Townsend’s squad that their results may not count against them in selection.
Tandy continued: "It doesn't matter if you're losing the game, you can still perform and play well, but it does help, playing in winning teams.
“I think the confidence grows and things become a little bit easier, but at the end of the day, as coaches we talk through everything and take everything into consideration.”
One home-based player Scotland will not be able to call upon this weekend is prop Nathan McBeth.
The Glasgow prop, who won his first caps on the summer tour, suffered a knee injury in Glasgow’s defeat to the Sharks in Durban and will sit out the series opener at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.
Tandy confirmed the 25-year-old won’t add to his two caps this weekend.
Providing an update on the loosehead, the defence coach said: “He's progressing nicely at the minute, but again, we're just waiting.
Scotland’s defence coach was hopeful McBeth would play some part in the four-match series.
As a former back-row Tandy is also well-placed to provide an assessment of Freddy Douglas, who was the surprise call-up to Townsend’s squad last week.
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The 19-year-old is yet to make his Edinburgh debut but Tandy believes he could have a big future.
“Freddy's not probably getting as much game time [for Edinburgh], but we see what he's doing in the ‘A’ games, we see what he does in the under-20s, and we see that he's an absolutely unbelievable talent.
"The only way we'd put someone in is if we believe they could really thrive in that situation. And Freddy's got all the qualities to do that.”
"The way he trains, the way he looks after himself, the way he conditions himself, is just class to see.
“I think he's got every opportunity to become an outstanding professional rugby player as well as an outstanding international.”
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