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Townsend makes shock decision as Scotland make 4 changes for England
By Josh Raisey
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has not selected any Edinburgh players in his starting XV to take on England on Saturday in the Calcutta Cup.
Following their 18-15 loss to Italy in round one of the Guinness Six Nations in Rome, Townsend has made four changes to his starting team at Murrayfield, all of which are in the pack.
It will be the first time this century that an Edinburgh player has not featured in a Scottish starting XV, as an under-fire Townsend desperately looks for a response.
An unaltered backline, and choice of backline substitutes on the bench, means there is still no place in the squad for British & Irish Lions duo Blair Kinghorn and Duhan van der Merwe. The latter is still scratching for form, but has long been a thorn in English sides in the Calcutta Cup.
After a difficult time at the lineout in Rome, Ewan Ashman has been ruled out of the match with a neck injury. He has been replaced by Harlequins’ George Turner at hooker.
Ashman’s Edinburgh team-mates Pierre Schoeman and Grant Gilchrist are also out of the team, with Glasgow Warriors’ Nathan McBeth starting at loosehead and his club-mate Gregor Brown packing down in the second-row. While Schoeman will still feature from the bench, Gilchrist is out of the squad entirely.
The final change in the pack will see former captain Jamie Ritchie start at blindside flanker, with Matt Fagerson taking the bench spot held by Brown at the Stadio Olimpico.
With Ashman out and Turner promoted to the starting XV, Dave Cherry, who has been plying his trade with Vannes in France’s second division, will join the subsitutes.
Scotland XV
15. Tom Jordan – Bristol Bears (13)
14. Kyle Steyn – Glasgow Warriors (29)
13. Huw Jones – Glasgow Warriors (59)
12. Sione Tuipulotu – Glasgow Warriors (34) – Captain
11. Jamie Dobie – Glasgow Warriors (18)
10. Finn Russell – Bath Rugby (90) Vice-captain
9. Ben White – Toulon (32)
1. Nathan McBeth – Glasgow Warriors (6)
2. George Turner – Harlequins (51)
3. Zander Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (77)
4. Gregor Brown – Glasgow Warriors (13)
5. Scott Cummings – Glasgow Warriors (46)
6. Jamie Ritchie – Perpignan (61)
7. Rory Darge – Glasgow Warriors (35) Vice-captain
8. Jack Dempsey – Glasgow Warriors (30)
Replacements
16. Dave Cherry – Vannes (16)
17. Pierre Schoeman – Edinburgh Rugby (45)
18. Elliot Millar Mills – Northampton Saints (12)
19. Max Williamson – Glasgow Warriors (10)
20. Matt Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (60)
21. George Horne – Glasgow Warriors (41)
22. Adam Hastings – Glasgow Warriors (35)
23. Darcy Graham – Edinburgh Rugby (51)
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