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Stafford McDowall to fill Sione Tuipulotu void for Scotland against Italy

Stafford McDowall of Scotland runs with the ball to score his team's second try during the Autumn Nations Series 2024 match between Scotland and Portugal at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on November 16, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Glasgow Warriors centre Stafford McDowall will start at inside centre for Scotland against Italy on Saturday in the opening match of their Guinness Six Nations campaign, filling the void left by injured captain Sione Tuipulotu.

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In what is otherwise a settled Scotland side with 10 players in the starting XV with more than 40 caps, the question leading into the Championship was always who would take Tuipulotu’s No. 12 jersey.

The eight-cap McDowall has been chosen initially by Gregor Townsend, and will partner his Glasgow team-mate Huw Jones in the midfield.

While Scotland will be without one stalwart in Tuipulotu, they also welcome back second-row Jonny Gray, who is in line to earn his first cap in almost two years in Edinburgh.

Fixture
Six Nations
Scotland
31 - 19
Full-time
Italy
All Stats and Data

“The players know that this is the biggest tournament that they play in and getting to start at home is massive for them,” Townsend said.

“[Italy] are a really quality side and they’ve shown that now for two or three years. They’ll come into this tournament full of confidence. They had a really good performance against New Zealand but in last year’s Six Nations they had upped their game and were competitive in four out of five games, won two, drew one and one of those victories was against us, so they’ll be very confident feeling they can beat us again.

Looking at the return to the squad for Gray and hooker Dave Cherry – who will play his first Test since the 2023 World Cup – Townsend said: “The fact that both of them have not been involved since the World Cup and Jonny before the World Cup, I’m sure they’ll be desperate to play their best ever game in a Scotland jersey.”

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On McDowall’s selection, he said: “Stafford’s been very consistent for Glasgow and for us when he’s had the opportunity over the last two or three years. He really brings his physicality and his edge to the game, both in attack and defence.”

Scotland XV
15. Blair Kinghorn – Toulouse (55)
14. Darcy Graham – Edinburgh Rugby (42)
13. Huw Jones – Glasgow Warriors (53)
12. Stafford McDowall – Glasgow Warriors (8)
11. Duhan van der Merwe – Edinburgh Rugby (44)
10. Finn Russell – Bath Rugby (82) CO-CAPTAIN
9. Ben White – Toulon (24)
1. Pierre Schoeman – Edinburgh Rugby (37)
2. Dave Cherry – Edinburgh Rugby (11)
3. Zander Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (70)
4. Jonny Gray – Bordeaux Bègles (77)
5. Grant Gilchrist – Edinburgh Rugby (75)
6. Jamie Ritchie – Edinburgh Rugby (54)
7. Rory Darge – Glasgow Warriors (25) CO-CAPTAIN
8. Matt Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (50)

Replacements
16. Ewan Ashman – Edinburgh Rugby (22)
17. Rory Sutherland – Glasgow Warriors (37)
18. Will Hurd – Leicester Tigers (4)
19. Gregor Brown – Glasgow Warriors (4)
20. Jack Dempsey – Glasgow Warriors (22)
21. George Horne – Glasgow Warriors (34)
22. Tom Jordan – Glasgow Warriors (3)
23. Kyle Rowe – Glasgow Warriors (9)

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Comments

1 Comment
D
DC 21 days ago

Going on his performance for Glasgow against Quins I’m surprised he’s in the team and starting

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Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 1 hour ago
Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

Maybe Covid-19 did us some favours after all

NZR and Australia had a great opportunity to dump Super Rugby and reset with a more sustainable future, but unfortunately they only had eyes on getting back to playing asap, ditto the South Africans with their departure for the immediate salvation in URC. How ironic, to try to continue it on only to have it ripped up, with your squandered chance at something new gone.

You might look at the guys that have shown a lot of loyalty to us [like Richie]

No, that’s a bad edit. Why does it need to be a lot of loyalty though? If Richie had of won a RWC for New Zealand surely that would make up for a lack of loyalty in this regard? Of course Mo’unga had said goodbye long before that but Beauden Barrett had also, and he got offered a sabbatical deal to return despite no longer technically being on NZRs books. I guess the elephant here is that Richie accepted a 3 year deal, but that’s what the JRLO teams want, not 1 year, not even 2 years. Why does it have to be about his All Black status that determines loyalty as well? Why can’t any NZ player be given a sabbatical after 8 full SR seasons, and still be able to hold onto that dream if they find themselves flourishing in an overseas environment?

The All Blacks’ brand has to be seen to be ultimate sporting success story to attract and sustain sponsorship, which spools the debate all the way back to selection policy and Razor’s ability to pick players plying their trade abroad.

We’ll see if you understand your oxymoron here. No, no other side of the coin presented, not even a cursory to those you know who’ll post lol The reason the brand has been such a success is put solely down to the selection policy, how are you going to change the opinion on that? I don’t think it’s possible, I can see change when they give up trying. Thankfully that looks a long way off and a return to number one immanent for this ‘last hope’ of a rugby stronghold.

Jacomb was on the field for the first 51 minutes, D-Mac played the full 80. During the time with Jacomb at 10 and McKenzie at 15, the Chiefs were losing 6-14.

What were the stats then though? That’s what I’d like to know.

Mo’unga may be on sabbatical in Japan, but absence has if anything increased his importance to New Zealand rugby

Unfortunately JRLO made some changes to their content protection this year, unsure why, so no, his absences has unfortunately morphed into obscurity. Thankfully Rugby Pass TV has come to the table and given one game a week to NZ viewers if anyone is interested (myself it kinda came too late in the piece).


Please to see Jacomb get through his third start with such aplomb. Another tight game this week so perhaps another tight performance needed by him again. The Chiefs have lost their second starting fullback so Dmac might be asked to continue in the position for a while yet.

6 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
Super Rugby rolls back the years but challenges lie ahead

There is no appetite – either in New Zealand and Australia or Japan – to recreate a separate team like the Sunwolves to sit as a sole representative in Super Rugby.

If theres no appetite, why are you suggesting it?


Any JRLO involvement is a long way off were SR looses its place, and is only a equivalent of the Champions Cup. Which if happened, would still be a general overall win.


Any inclusion of the Jaguares would also require a recalibration of that tournament. Argentina would not be able to field a strong team by themselves (without changing Los Pumas eligibility again, which we don’t want them to do), it needs the full support of Super Rugby Americas, a competition which runs from Feb to Jun as well. I suppose it really depends how many stars UAR could bring back home, Jaquares have been brought back, so maybe they do have an aim, but would they accept hosting their games out of Santiago (just an hr further than Tokyo)?


One thing I could see change is SRP moving to finish in Oct.


Edit: The Sunwolves brand is pretty much Brave Lupus now I’d imagine so this team would need a new name, and I still see Tokyo as being the best place economically to place a new team, but would SRA and MLR get together to share a team their if they don’t have the players to do it individually? It just seems a waste of brand expenditure just for these unions to dip their foot into SR. Perhaps it’s a Hawaiian team?

3 Go to comments
S
Stacy K Davis 4 hours ago
Crusaders prepare for 'dangerous in all elements' Chiefs game-breaker

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