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Scotland name team for Wales Test

By Online Editors
Scotland squad named(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Scotland have named their team to take on Wales in the Doddie Weir Cup at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.

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Gregor Townsend’s side will be looking to avenge their 34-7 defeat to the Welsh at the same venue on the opening day of this year’s 6 Nations.

The game falls outside the international window so Racing 92’s Finn Russell and Clermont Auvergne’s Greig Laidlaw were among those unavailable.

Adam Hastings steps up at outhalf after impressing for Glasgow so far this season. Ali Price partners him at halfback.

Hooker Stuart McInally captains the side. Long term injuries to Zander Fagerson and Stuart Hogg also ruled them out. Hogg’s replacement at full-back is Edinburgh’s Blair Kinghorn, a man hotly tipped to slot in after fine form with his club.

Four players who missed Scotland’s summer tour return, they are Jonny Gray (lock) Willem Nel (prop), Hamish Watson and Ryan Wilson (back-row).

Edinburgh back Darcy Graham earns his first appearance in a Scotland match-day 23 and could make his debut if called upon from the bench.

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Townsend added: “We’ve had a productive two weeks, both in St Andrews and Edinburgh, and the players have worked hard to put our game into place.

”As always we expect a very tough Test match against Wales in Cardiff – a contest that will be physically and technically demanding in a noisy arena. It’s a challenge we look forward to facing.”

The build-up to the game has been overshadowed by the initial reluctance of either union to donate any of the proceeds from the fixture to Doddie Weir’s charity, despite the sides competing for a trophy in his name.

On Monday they finally relented: “The unions together have committed to donating a joint six-figure sum from the proceeds of the game,” they said.

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In a joint statement a WRU spokesperson added: “We have listened to supporters and, whilst our initial motivation in supporting the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was to help raise awareness for the fight against MND and the foundation’s fundraising campaign, we have decided to make a direct donation.”

While the SRU said: “We have listened to the feedback from the rugby family in relation to extending our support around the autumn Test match in Cardiff and have partnered with the WRU in a commitment to guarantee the foundation receives a six-figure donation. We are happy to provide a further level of support to Doddie and his foundation through this initiative and to mirror the generosity of fans.”

After naming his team Townsend also led plaudits to Weir: “Doddie’s a great man who’s been inspirational in his fight against MND and it’s fantastic that we’re able to pay tribute to him and his achievements with this match.

“This Saturday the best way we, as a team, can pay tribute to him will be through our performance, delivering one in keeping with the occasion and that puts us in a position to make Doddie proud.

“There is an extra incentive that we are playing for a trophy in the shape of the Doddie Weir Cup.”

Scotland team to face Wales:
15. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 5 caps

14. Tommy Seymour VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 43 caps
13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 16 caps
12. Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) – 28 caps
11. Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps

10. Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – 3 caps
9. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps

1. Allan Dell (Edinburgh) – 13 caps
2. Stuart McInally CAPTAIN (Edinburgh) – 18 caps
3. Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 22 caps
4. Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) – 12 caps
5. Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 43 caps
6. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – 2 caps
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) – 20 caps
8. Ryan Wilson VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 37 caps

Substitutes

16. Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 34 caps
17. Alex Allan (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 caps
18. Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 10 caps
19. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 25 caps
20. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap
21. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 2 caps
22. Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 35 caps
23. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh) – uncapped

You may also like: Warren Gatland discusses his November squad selections

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Trevor 2 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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