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Lions replacements get captain Sione Tuipulotu's full backing
By PA
Sione Tuipulotu has backed Gregor Townsend’s new-look back three to help Scotland get off to a Guinness Six Nations flier in Italy on Saturday.
The head coach has made the bold call not to include any of Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe in his starting XV for the showdown in Rome.
It will be the first time none of the British and Irish Lions trio have started in a Six Nations match since February 2019.
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Instead Bristol’s Tom Jordan will play at full-back, with Glasgow pair Jamie Dobie and Kyle Steyn getting the nod on the wings in a selection captain Tuipulotu believes displays the array of back-line options Scotland possess.
“At least since I’ve been around, those three have been playing in most of the games that I’ve played for Scotland so I think it’s going to be a little bit different out there tomorrow,” said Tuipulotu, speaking pitchside at Scotland’s team run at Stadio Olimpico on Friday afternoon.
“This time Kyle and Dobie and Tommy have been given the opportunity to play those positions and I’ll back them as much as I can.
“I believe in them wholeheartedly, and I know what they can do in big games, and this is a big game for us tomorrow.”
Townsend has selected nine Glasgow players in his starting XV and a further five on the bench.
Warriors have won each of their last nine games since the start of December, including all four of their Champions Cup pool matches, and Tuipulotu is hopeful the harmony they have generated at club level can transfer into the Test arena.
“We’re very cohesive out there at the moment, I can feel it at training,” said the Glasgow centre. “We play with each other throughout the whole year.
“As national team captain, I’m very proud of the boys that have come through Glasgow, and now we’re playing together for the national team.
“I just want to see them take their club form to national duties now. I just hope we can show how cohesive and together we are. Not just the Glasgow boys, but all of us together tomorrow.”
Tuipulotu is expecting Italy be “passionate” opponents at a sold-out Olimpico but he is unfazed by forecasts of rain come kick-off time in the Eternal City.
“I play my club rugby in Glasgow, so I’m used to the rain,” he said. “Probably more used to it than the boys playing over here at Benetton and Zebre. So if the rain comes, we’re well prepared for that. And if the sun stays out, so be it.”
Asked what Scotland, who finished fourth in each of the previous two years, can achieve in the championship, Tuipulotu said: “That’s not really my concern at the moment.
“My main concern is beating Italy. If we can, we’ll get our championship off to a kick-start. But in terms of what we can achieve in the competition, we’ll leave that talk, I think, maybe until a little bit later and focus on Italy tomorrow.”
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