Samoa have given Scotland plenty scares in the past and don’t expect anything different on Saturday, warns wing Tommy Seymour.
Glasgow’s prolific try-scorer returns to Scotland duty after a summer with the Lions desperate to get back into action, but well remembers the last clash with the big men in royal blue, at the Rugby World Cup in Newcastle just over two years ago.
“That was a nervy game? You’re telling me!” said Seymour of that match, where the Scots won 36-33 and he scored a typically opportunistic interception try.
“That first half we couldn’t seem to get into a rhythm. We’d do something well but then they’d put us back under the cosh. We were perhaps fortunate to be where we were at half-time because they played the better rugby in the first half.
“If they do get across the gainline then their ability as athletes and their subtleties do come to the fore, and they can certainly put you to the sword if they get a chance. But we go into this game knowing what we’re facing, we’re under no illusion about how difficult it will be.
“People pick up that physicality and the big hits because it’s the most obvious thing about their game but they have a lot of subtlety to their game too.
“There are a lot of guys who play in our league so I know them on a club level, and there are some class rugby players who are about more than banging through and bruising bodies, who really do like to play and expansive and entertaining brand of rugby.”
Seymour admits to have missed being with Scotland in the summer even if it was the opportunity of his career to be with the Lions in New Zealand.
“It was hard not being involved, weirdly enough,” he said. “I was on a great platform, but I was watching the guys I’ve spent a lot of time with over the past few years having a couple of great results in the summer, the Australia result in particular was phenomenal and it would have been great to be a part of that.
“I was delighted to be a part of the Lions, but before that came up I had looked at the tour schedule and said it would be amazing to go to Fiji.
“The boys love going to these countries. The hospitality, the warm embrace that you get from the Islanders are unbelievable.”
And Seymour feels that the Island rugby nations deserve a better deal from the top teams.
“They can play some incredible rugby and have some amazing athletes – I know from being teammates with a couple of the best players you’ll ever see, and there are more of those dotted all over European rugby, guys who are always earmarked as the ones to watch.
“These are special games to be part of.”
