Sam Skinner is the most glaring alteration in Gregor Townsend’s grand plan for the Autumn Tests as he is retained in the Scotland team but at blindside flanker for the visit of South Africa on Saturday.
Gary Graham has decided he’s Scottish after all, and the Newcastle flanker courted by England last year joined up with the Scotland squad at Oriam yesterday.
There won’t be any sourness or awkward silences between room-mates Pete Horne and Tommy Seymour this week at the Scottish team camp as the wing was happy with his haul of three tries to take him closer to record breaking territory.
Stuart Hogg has made the decision that many in Scottish Rugby dreaded – although it’s not known for certain yet where the British Lions full-back will land when he leaves Scotland.
It’s foolish to project too much into the future – there are still 11 international games and more than half of a full-bore club season to go – but after Scotland’s 54-17 win over Fiji at BT Murrayfield on Saturday, it’s tempting to do so.
Scotland threw off a brief wobble in the first half to tick most boxes on their way to a commanding 54-17, eight-try victory over Fiji at a sellout BT Murrayfield.
An open running game is “in the genetics” of the Scotland team now, believes Greig Laidlaw, but we’re likely to see a sanitised version of the all-signing, all-dancing Scotland as they return to BT Murrayfield after a seven-month gap.
Barely seven weeks after ankle surgery, Stuart Hogg will return to the Scotland team to play Fiji in the second Autumn Test at BT Murrayfield as a proven “fast-starter”.
Gregor Townsend drove us to distraction on many occasions in his previous job with Glasgow Warriors, chopping and changing his selections so often it became known as “Toonie Tombola”.
Scotland have made nine changes to their side to take on Fiji in the second Autumn Test with Greig Laidlaw restored to captain after nearly two years.