Gregor Townsend whipped off the training wheels – with a reassuring old hand still there for balance – as Scotland bid for more depth in Saturday’s opening Autumn Series test match against Tonga.
With the one French-based and all English-based players not available to him, Townsend has indulged his predilection for adventurous moves.
The head coach admitted he may have gone further – but for an untimely injury to Rory Darge there might have been five new caps starting.
Four news caps starting, four on the bench
Instead there are four, Sione Tuipulotu and Rufus McLean of Glasgow in the backs, Pierre Schoeman and Jamie Hodgson of Edinburgh in the pack.
In addition to those and four uncapped players on the bench there’s other switches. Darcy Graham at full-back. Oli Kebble at tight head (on the bench). On-field co-captains for the first time in Ali Price and Jamie Ritchie.
But the big news always seems to be at 10, and Townsend is all-in with the switch of Blair Kinghorn there by starting him in the pivotal slot after just three starts there for Edinburgh.
After 26 caps – mostly good ones – at full-back and wing, the 6ft 4in, nearly 17 stone Kinghorn will now be the pilot. And it’s not simply a stop-gap for the absent Finn Russell and Adam Hastings, although they will surely remain first and second choices for the rest of the series.
“We’ll see in the long term, but I certainly see (Kinghorn) as 10 with lots of potential,” said Townsend. “I’ve seen that in his training sessions, and games.
“The first game of the season against a Scarlets team that came out to attack he had some great touches, lovely movement for his try. His game management in attack and knowing when to take on the defence was very good.
‘We know it’ll take a little while’
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“The kicking side, we know he’s got that ability, but putting that into playing 10 will take some time.
“We know he’s one of our best defenders on the wing given his pace, the size he is and his reads. But we know it’ll take a little while to get used to defending at first receiver.
“I see Blair having the ability to play anywhere in that back line. Probably not 9, but you could see him step up at 13. And getting that experience and exposure at 10 now will help him get really engaged in attack, even if he returns to the back three.”
Townsend is only one Scotland game removed from throwing another 15 into 10 – Stuart Hogg on the Six Nations against Italy. But his adventurous nature only goes so far.
New caps Pierre Schoeman and Sione Tuiputolu have been around the block a bit and are hardly novices. Rufus McLean’s all-action style – think a slightly bigger Darcy Graham – deserved cap recognition.
Harley is there as a steadying hand
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And two second row new caps was maybe just tempting things a little too much. Rather than have both Jamie Hodgson and Marshall Sykes together, Rob Harley has got a recall at 31. It’s his first start since 2016, and his first ever start for Scotland in the second row, slightly surprisingly.
“We did debate about starting Marshall and Jamie, there is cohesion there,” said Townsend. “But two young locks on their debuts…Rob does give that experience.
“Around an international camp Rob is always very good at getting the detail right. He knows how to train at a high level and helping the team prepare. Now he gets the opportunity to start a test match again and he will give everything.”
Harley also brings a bit of an abrasive edge thought missing in Scotland’s only previous loss to Tonga, the infamous 21-15 loss at Pittodrie in 2012. Harley is the only survivor from the game at Kilmarnock two years later. Scotland won 37-12 that day, the last meeting of the teams.
“I think that’s a tactic now whoever we play against,” said Townsend. “The forwards have to bring an edge, they have to be physical, and increasingly they have to be powerful.
“We know Tonga has power. We know they will hit really hard in defence, in contact, they’ll have a good set piece.
‘This was our starting back row last year’
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“But we’ve got a strong pack when you think that (Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Matt Fagerson) was our starting back row last year.
“Guys like Zander Fagerson and George (Turner) played every game in the Six Nations. We know it will be a challenge for our pack. but we’ve got players there with ability to work hard and be aggressive.”
The co-captains idea has been done before, but not on the pitch at the same time. Jamie Ritchie would have skippered the side in the summer but for three tests being lost to Covid.
Price, meanwhile, joined the main leadership group at the last Six Nations. He came on even more when being the lead 9 for the Lions.
“He seems to thrive on getting more responsibility,” said Townsend. “Leadership starts with playing well, and then it follows up with trying to influence others.
“You by making your point at meetings or training to say this is what we need to do better. We saw that from Ali in the summer.”
Team
Darcy Graham (Edinburgh); Kyle Steyn (Glasgow), Sione Tuipulotu, Sam Johnson, Rufus McLean (all Glasgow); Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), Ali Price (Glasgow, co-captain); Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), George Turner (Glasgow), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow); Jamie Hodgson (Edinburgh), Rob Harley (Glasgow); Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh, co-captain), Hamish Watson, Matt Fagerson.
Replacements: Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow), Oli Kebble (Glasgow), Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh), Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh), Nick Haining (Edinburgh), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow), Ross Thompson (Glasgow).