Scotland will hope to bounce again from their painful defeat to Australia as they tackle Fiji of their second autumn worldwide this afternoon.
Blair Kinghorn had the possibility to attain the match-winning penalty in opposition to Australia at Murrayfield final weekend however pulled his kick vast because the hosts had been overwhelmed. Kinghorn has been backed to bounce again following his miss, which got here after the fly-half scored a sensational attempt in his outing as beginning No 10 within the absence of Finn Russell – though Kinghorn has been changed within the beginning line-up by Adam Hastings for as we speak’s conflict with the Pacific island nation.
“It’s important that we get behind him because he did a lot of stuff really well. I back Blair,” stated Jamie Ritchie following his first match as captain. “I’ve seen what he can do week in and week out. I’m confident he will bounce back and be great next week.”
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The return of Vern
For those that get pleasure from win percentages, defeat to Australia final week dropped Gregor Townsend’s to 52.54% – under the document mark for a Scottish coach of 52.78% achieved by his predecessor, who’s again at Murrayfield this afternoon.
Vern Cotter deserves loads of credit score for stabilising Scottish rugby throughout his time in cost, and there are loads who really feel his departure may need been a contact untimely.
“We need to approach the game with a lot of humility,” Cotter stated this week. “We are a tier 2 team playing a tier 1 team that had a game already in their bag. “We are slowly getting together but we want to get learnings from this plus we have the Rugby World Cup next year so it is really important that we put ourselves up against a very good team and I’m sure from we will come away with individual and collective improvements to be made.”
Harry Latham-Coyle5 November 2022 12:31
Scotland’s backline replenished
Adam Hastings, Scotland’s personal new quantity ten, has been going moderately effectively for Gloucester, after all. You’d counsel Gregor Townsend will likely be hoping his fly-half can take management of the sport, forcing Fiji to play in harmful areas and strike when Scotland have their probabilities. While there are a pair from the beginning aspect final week unlucky to overlook out this, Ollie Smith notably, the England-based quartet ought to solidify Townsend’s backline, and it’s good to see Cameron Redpath match for worldwide obligation – if Scotland are to press forward with out Finn Russell, the Bath playmaker could must emerge as a key determine.
Harry Latham-Coyle5 November 2022 12:26
A brand new face at quantity ten…
Plenty of cause to be excited concerning the Vilimoni Botitu fly-half experiment. He is an extremely gifted participant, like many on this Fijian aspect, however what has stood out in his profession up to now has been his potential to marry these presents with actual accuracy and dependability. It is a big gamble putting in the 24-year-old at a place at which he has little top-level expertise, however he has a balanced skillset and will current intriguing choices in assault to go together with excellent defensive acumen.
I fancy Frank Lomani could take duties from the tee – however Fiji often have one thing completely different up their sleeve, so we’ll see.
Harry Latham-Coyle5 November 2022 12:18
Team News – Fiji
The eye-catching information within the Fiji choice comes at fly-half, the place Vilimoni Botitu is surprisingly stationed. The former sevens star normally calls inside centre dwelling and has been an uber-consistent performer for Castres over the past couple of seasons, however has restricted expertise at ten – how he performs will likely be fascinating.
Up entrance, there’s a debut for Ratu Leone Rotuisolia within the second row, one among a variety of youthful figures within the squad who impressed for the Fijian Drua in Super Rugby final yr, whereas the again row appears to be like mighty punchy certainly, with Viliame Mata match to stomp round acquainted Edinburgh turf.
Two extra potential first-cappers are on the bench – prop Livai Natave and utility again Sireli Maqala, silkily expert and unsurprisingly moderately appreciated by Vern Cotter.
Fiji XV: E Mawi, S Matavesi, M Saulo; T Mayanavanua, RTL Rotuisolia; A Tuisue, L Botia, V Mata; F Lomani, V Botitu; V Habosi, Ok Ravouvou, W Nayacalevu (capt.), S Tuicuvu; Ok Murimurivalu.
Replacements: T Ikanivere, LNatave, L Tagi, A Ratuniyarawa, Ok Kamikamica; P Matawalu, T Tela, S Maqala.
Harry Latham-Coyle5 November 2022 12:12
Team News – Scotland
Having made do with a barely slimmer squad final week for the out-of-window curtain-raiser in opposition to Australia, Gregor Townsend can choose from a full complement this week. Stuart Hogg is again at full-back, Cam Redpath and Chris Harris type a brand new midfield and Adam Hastings takes the place of Blair Kinghorn at fly-half, hoping to press for a longer-term beginning berth with Finn Russell absent.
Dave Cherry has suffered a hamstring harm and has been compelled to withdraw from the squad, so George Turner is in at hooker, whereas Richie Gray makes his first Scotland begin since 2017 within the second row. Murphy Walker awaits a debut because the alternative tighthead.
Scotland XV: P Schoeman, G Turner, Z Fagerson; R Gray, G Gilchrist; J Ritchie (capt.), H Watson, M Fagerson; A Price, A Hastings; D van der Merwe, C Redpath, C Harris, D Graham; S Hogg.
Replacements: E Ashman, R Sutherland, M Walker, J Gray, J Dempsey; B White, B Kinghorn, S Tuipulotu.
Harry Latham-Coyle5 November 2022 12:09
Scotland trying to ‘impose our game’ on Fiji
One wonders fairly how Scotland’s efficiency final weekend may need been acquired had Blair Kinghorn filed a greater flight plan for his potential match-winner, however such is life in skilled sport {that a} slender defeat solely served to deepen the sighs of the extra pessimitic Scottish followers fearing a fruitless autumn.
Harry Latham-Coyle5 November 2022 12:07
Scotland vs Fiji
To Murrayfield, and a mighty intriguing little encounter. Scotland moderately stuttered out in opposition to Australia, with neither consequence nor crowd fairly what the Scottish union would have hoped for.
This needs to be an opportunity for Gregor Townsend’s aspect to proper their marketing campaign and take extra strides ahead, however they are going to be cautious of a cool Fijian aspect, guided by a well-recognized face, which might be greater than able to spoiling the Scottish afternoon.
Harry Latham-Coyle5 November 2022 12:03
Scotland vs Fiji
We’ve already had a pulsating day of drama in Auckland, the place New Zealand and England have scraped into the World Cup remaining, and now it’s over to the boys to take up the cost.
It actually is a busy autumn forward, 5 weeks chock filled with worldwide rugby with the motion kicking off in earnest as we speak after that Edinburgh hors d’oeuvre seven days in the past. Let’s get to it…
Harry Latham-Coyle5 November 2022 11:59
Scotland vs Fiji
Blair Kinghorn had the possibility to attain the match-winning penalty in opposition to Australia at Murrayfield final weekend however pulled his kick vast because the hosts had been overwhelmed. Kinghorn has been backed to bounce again following his miss, which got here after the fly-half scored a sensational attempt in his outing as beginning No 10 within the absence of Finn Russell – though Kinghorn has been changed within the beginning line-up by Adam Hastings for as we speak’s conflict with the Pacific island nation.
“It’s important that we get behind him because he did a lot of stuff really well. I back Blair,” stated Jamie Ritchie following his first match as captain. “I’ve seen what he can do week in and week out. I’m confident he will bounce back and be great next week.”
Lawrence Ostlere5 November 2022 11:29
Source: www.impartial.co.uk