Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Scotland make wholesale changes for Romania clash

Scotland's Grant Gilchrist (Photo by Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)

Head coach Gregor Townsend has rejigged Scotland’s line-up for the second-last pool game of the side’s Rugby World Cup campaign.

ADVERTISEMENT

Just two players who featured in the starting line-up from last weekend’s victory over Tonga have been retained in the run-on side for Saturday’s clash with Romania in Toulouse, midfielder Chris Harris and wing Kyle Steyn.

In the front row, Jamie Bhatti and Javan Sebastian will sandwich hooker Ewan Ashman, while Sam Skinner and new captain Grant Gilchrist will pack down at lock.

Luke Crosbie, Hamish Watson – in his first appearance of the tournament – and number 8 Matt Fagerson round out the pack.

Ali Price and Ben Healy will guide Scotland around the park from the halves with outside centre Harris partnering Cam Redpath. Steyn switches from the right wing to the left, allowing Darcy Graham to don the No 14 jersey. Rounding out the starting line-up, Ollie Smith gets a shot at fullback.

Team Form

Last 5 Games

4
Wins
3
2
Streak
1
26
Tries Scored
6
87
Points Difference
5
4/5
First Try
0/5
3/5
First Points
0/5
4/5
Race To 10 Points
1/5

Johnny Matthews could make his Test debut off the bench having only recently joined the squad as a replacement for Stuart McInally while the rest of the reserves boast plenty of experience between them. Rory Sutherland, WP Nel, Scott Cummings and Rory Darge will cover the forwards and George Horne, Blair Kinghorn and Huw Jones will look to provide impact in the backline.

While Scotland suffered an 18-3 loss to South Africa in the opening game of their 2023 World Cup campaign, a strong performance against Tonga means they can still progress to the knockout stages of the competition provided they win their final two matches against Romania and Ireland.

ADVERTISEMENT

Romania, on the other hand, have endured a torrid time of things in France, losing their first two matches of the competition by 74 points and 76 points against Ireland and South Africa respectively.

Scotland’s match with Romania is set to kick off at 9pm CET on Saturday.

Scotland: Ollie Smith, Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Cameron Redpath, Kyle Steyn, Ben Healy, Ali Price, Matt Fagerson, Hamish Watson, Luke Crosbie, Grant Gilchrist (c), Sam Skinner, Javan Sebastian, Ewan Ashman, Jamie Bhatti. Reserves: Johnny Matthews, Rory Sutherland, WP Nel, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, George Horne, Blair Kinghorn, Huw Jones.

ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 31 | Investec Champions Cup Review

Global Schools Challenge | Day 2 Replay

The Backyard Bunch | The USA's Belmont Shore

Loughborough Lightning vs Harlequins | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Round 9 Highlights | PWR 2024/25

AUSTRALIA vs USA behind the scenes | HSBC SVNS Embedded | E04

South Africa v France | HSBC SVNS Cape Town 2024 | Men's Final Match Highlights

Two Sides - Behind the scenes with the British & Irish Lions in South Africa | E01

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

1 Comment
H
Hector 449 days ago

Not a bad side. After two very physical games, apart from Ritchie, we're still in a pretty healthy state. Well done the medical team.
Really excited to see the likes of Redpath on the hoof and great to see Watson back on the park. He'll have a point to prove.
It's been quite a while since Scotland has had enough strength in depth to field pretty much two really competitive teams.

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 4 hours ago
‘The problem with this year’s Champions Cup? Too many English clubs’

Yep, that's exactly what I want.

Glasgow won the URC and Edinburgh finished 16th, but Scotland won the six nations, Edinburgh would qualify for the Champions Cup under your system.

It's 'or'. If Glasgow won the URC or Scotland won the six nations. If one of those happens I believe it will (or should) be because the league is in a strong place, and that if a Scotland side can do that, there next best club team should be allowed to reach for the same and that would better serve the advancement of the game.


Now, of course picking a two team league like Scotland is the extreme case of your argument, but I'm happy for you to make it. First, Edinbourgh are a good mid table team, so they are deserving, as my concept would have predicted, of the opportunity to show can step up. Second, you can't be making a serious case that Gloucester are better based on beating them, surely. You need to read Nicks latest article on SA for a current perspective on road teams in the EPCR. Christ, you can even follow Gloucester and look at the team they put out the following week to know that those games are meaningless.


More importantly, third. Glasgow are in a league/pool with Italy, So the next team to be given a spot in my technically imperfect concept would be Benneton. To be fair to my idea that's still in it's infancy, I haven't given any thought to those 'two team' leagues/countries yet, and I'm not about to 😋

They would be arguably worse if they didn't win the Challenge Cup.

Incorrect. You aren't obviously familiar with knockout football Finn, it's a 'one off' game. But in any case, that's not your argument. You're trying to suggest they're not better than the fourth ranked team in the Challenge Cup that hasn't already qualified in their own league, so that could be including quarter finalists. I have already given you an example of a team that is the first to get knocked out by the champions not getting a fair ranking to a team that loses to one of the worst of the semi final teams (for example).

Sharks are better

There is just so much wrong with your view here. First, the team that you are knocking out for this, are the Stormers, who weren't even in the Challenge Cup. They were the 7th ranked team in the Champions Cup. I've also already said there is good precedent to allow someone outside the league table who was heavily impacted early in the season by injury to get through by winning Challenge Cup. You've also lost the argument that Sharks qualify as the third (their two best are in my league qualification system) South African team (because a SAn team won the CC, it just happened to be them) in my system. I'm doubt that's the last of reasons to be found either.


Your system doesn't account for performance or changes in their domestic leagues models, and rely's heavily on an imperfect and less effective 'winner takes all' model.

Giving more incentives to do well in the Challenge Cup will make people take it more seriously. My system does that and yours doesn't.

No your systems doesn't. Not all the time/circumstances. You literally just quoted me describing how they aren't going to care about Challenge Cup if they are already qualifying through league performance. They are also not going to hinder their chance at high seed in the league and knockout matches, for the pointless prestige of the Challenge Cup.


My idea fixes this by the suggesting that say a South African or Irish side would actually still have some desire to win one of their own sides a qualification spot if they win the Challenge Cup though. I'll admit, its not the strongest incentive, but it is better than your nothing. I repeat though, if your not balance entries, or just my assignment, then obviously winning the Challenge Cup should get you through, but your idea of 4th place getting in a 20 team EPCR? Cant you see the difference lol


Not even going to bother finishing that last paragraph. 8 of 10 is not an equal share.

126 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Will Bristol's daredevil 'Bears-ball' deliver the trophy they crave? Will Bristol's daredevil 'Bears-ball' deliver the trophy they crave?
Search