Scotland name team for Australia that shows six XV changes

Gregor Townsend has named a Scotland XV to face Australia this Saturday at BT Murrayfield that has six changes from the team that agonisingly lost the Test series decider in Argentina last July. The Scots were 15 points ahead at one stage in that three-game finale but were beaten 34-31 at Santiago del Estero.

That was a match in which there were no restrictions on who Townsend could pick but this weekend’s game versus the Wallabies has been limited to home-based players only as the fixture falls outside the agreed Test window for the release of players who earn their club living outside of Scotland.

Five of the changes that Townsend has made to his team to face the Wallabies are in the Scotland pack. There are two front row changes, Pierre Schoeman and Dave Cherry gaining promotion from the tour bench to start at loosehead and hooker in place of the now Ulster-based Rory Sutherland and Sale’s Ewan Ashman.

Both locks have also been changed with Sam Skinner and Grant Gilchrist respectively named to start in place of Scott Cummings, who is out of the series with a broken toe, and the Exeter-based Jonny Gray. In the back row, new skipper Jamie Ritchie takes over at blindside for the injured Rory Darge.

The alterations to the backline are limited to just one, Darcy Graham coming onto the right wing for Rufus McLean, while on the bench, George Turner, Jamie Bhatti, WP Nel, ex-Australian player Jack Dempsey and Damien Hoyland are names included on this occasion that didn’t feature in the third tour Test outing three months ago.

Scotland (vs Australia, Saturday)
15. Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors) 1 cap
14. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby) 29 caps
13. Mark Bennett (Edinburgh Rugby) 27 caps
12. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 7 caps
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 19 caps
10. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) 34 caps
9. Ali Price – Vice-captain (Glasgow Warriors) 54 caps
1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 12 caps
2. Dave Cherry (Edinburgh Rugby) 7 caps
3. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 50 caps
4. Sam Skinner (Edinburgh Rugby) 22 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist – Vice-captain (Edinburgh Rugby) 55 caps
6. Jamie Ritchie – Captain (Edinburgh Rugby) 32 caps
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) 51 caps
8. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 24 caps

Replacements:
16. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 27 caps
17. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) 22 caps
18. WP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) 48 caps
19. Glen Young (Edinburgh Rugby) 1 cap
20. Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped
21. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 17 caps
22. Ross Thompson (Glasgow Warriors) 3 caps
23. Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby) 4 caps