'Having a genuine openside... we feel it was right to bring him back'

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is hoping familiarity pays off against Argentina on Sunday after he opted to make just one change to the side that ran New Zealand close last weekend.

The head coach was pleased with his team’s display against the All Blacks as they fought back from 17-0 down to level at 17-17 before eventually going down 25-17.

In the only change to the starting XV for the visit of the on-form Pumas to Murrayfield, vice-captain Rory Darge – a substitute last week – replaces Matt Fagerson at openside.

“I thought the players played really well and to have that as your first game of the season with everybody available was a pleasant surprise,” Townsend said on Friday.

“Sometimes in that first game of the season, there’s a lack of cohesion early on in the game, but I thought we were right into the game, especially in attack.

“I think we just switched off in the first half in defence, but after that we defended well, so those players get the right to go again.

“They played well and there’s the benefit of going with a settled team. With what we’ve learned in that game and another week of training, we’ll be a better team for that.

“So the one change is Rory Darge being fully fit again. He’s had a couple of weeks training, he had those minutes off the bench and we feel having a genuine openside, someone who’s played a lot of Test matches in that position, he’s a vice-captain, it was right to bring him back in.”

Fixture

Internationals

Scotland

24 - 33

Full-time

Argentina

All Stats and Data

Finn Russell has been passed fit to start after knee and ankle issues led to him being substituted in the closing stages against the All Blacks.

Asked if the talismanic stand-off was still suffering any ill-effects, Townsend said: “No. He managed it himself at the beginning of the week in terms of contact and not doing as much kicking, but he’s trained in both our main training sessions. He kicked yesterday fully, so no worries there.”

There is still no place in the matchday squad for influential prop Zander Fagerson, who has been working his way back to full fitness after being sidelined since early April by a combination of calf and knee problems.

Townsend was reluctant to pitch the forward back in against the powerful Pumas, but expects him to be ready to face Tonga next Sunday.

“Zander’s good, he’s good to go,” said the head coach. “We had to make a decision early in the week whether to risk him in this Test match or not.

“We made the decision to not play him. That’s partly due to how well D’arcy Rae and Elliot Millar Mills played last week.

“The nature of this Test match is obviously up against a quality side. We hadn’t yet seen what Zander had done in training (when naming the team earlier in the week), but he trained fully.

“He was back to his competitive, aggressive self yesterday. He’ll be available for selection next weekend.”