“How many tightheads do you want?” I once asked Vern Cotter. “As many as you’ve got,” he replied.
You can never have too many selection riches, unless you’re England, who seem to have fallen over themselves being spoiled for choice for years. For Scotland and Gregor Townsend, four missing loosehead props shows just that.
Therefore we have Darryl Marfo, a career fringe player in English rugby, and Jamie Bhatti, fresh out of the Academy and only two years removed from a day job as a slaughterman, as Scotland’s only two options at the position.
To be fair, Scotland got by last season fielding two novice props in Allan Dell and Zander Fagerson, both of whom are now seasoned internationals. And it might not really matter against Samoa, but it looks like nervy stuff for New Zealand and Australia to come.
Other than at No 1, where four injuries might even stretch France and England’s resources, Scotland seem pretty well served in terms of strength in depth. Ben Toolis, players’ player of the summer tour, is a straight lineout specialist swap for the injured Richie Gray.
Injuries in the centre to Duncan Taylor or Mark Bennett don’t matter so much when you’ve got Alex Dunbar and Huw Jones. And Grieg Laidlaw’s absence is adequately covered by the brisker Ali Price and (in placekicking terms) Finn Russell, who has missed just two in something like 20 attempts for Glasgow this year.
Townsend has also done the right thing in keeping units together, and the schedulers have helped him by putting Samoa up first, and giving New Zealand two matches in four days before they come to Edinburgh.
Nevertheless that game still represents the new head coach’s biggest test so far.
