Scotland team named to face Russia

7 Oct 2019

Head Coach Gregor Townsend today named the Scotland team to face Russia in the side's penultimate Rugby World Cup Pool A match at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa this Wednesday (kick-off 8.15am BST, 4.15pm local time) – live on ITV/STV.

Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham is the only player retained from the starting XV that defeated Samoa 34-0 in Kobe, with all eight players on the bench that day promoted to start: Fraser Brown, Scott Cummings, Zander Fagerson, Adam Hastings, George Horne, Gordon Reid, Duncan Taylor and Ryan Wilson.

Full-back Blair Kinghorn [below], centre Pete Horne, lock Ben Toolis and hooker George Turner get their first chance to make a mark on this year’s tournament from kick-off, with recent squad addition Henry Pyrgos handed the opportunity to do likewise from the bench.

Blair Kinghorn primed for his first chance of action in RWC2019

Wing Tommy Seymour and back-row John Barclay complete the starting side, coming in from outside the match-day 23 that faced the Pacific Islanders.

Scotland Head Coach, Gregor Townsend, said: “First and foremost we’ve picked a team we believe is capable of defeating an increasingly impressive and combative Russia side, who are looking to finish their Pool campaign on a high.

“A number of our players are getting their first start or Test in this tournament and have been itching to play their part in this World Cup, by helping the team deliver a winning performance on Wednesday.”
Head Coach Gregor Townsend

Glasgow Warriors pair George Horne and Adam Hastings will start together for the first time since their emphatic performance in defeat of Argentina in Resistencia last summer (44-15).

George’s elder brother Pete and Fraser Brown [below] also started that day, with Brown – normally a hooker – operating on the openside of the scrum, as he will against ‘the Bears’ in two days’ time and where he has featured in five of his 44 caps to date.

Scotland’s Fraser Brown will operate at openside

In the back-row Brown combines with Ryan Wilson and John Barclay – the latter returning to the squad as captain – while Scott Cummings earns his first start of the campaign alongside Toolis at lock.

Ayrshire Bulls loosehead Gordon Reid and Glasgow Warriors tighhead Zander Fagerson complete the pack either side of hooker Turner.

In the backs, Saracens centre Duncan Taylor partners Pete Horne in midfield, with the reselected Graham joined by Kinghorn and Seymour in the back three.

Townsend added: “Any successful World Cup campaign is built on a squad effort and those players who didn’t get the opportunity to start against Samoa really helped provide that team with a quality week of preparation.

“Now it’s their chance to get stuck into our next important game as we enter the final week of our Pool matches.”

Scotland team to play Russia at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Rugby World Cup 2019
Wednesday 9 October (kick-off 8.15am BST, 4.15pm local time) – live on ITV/STV

15. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 15 caps

14. Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 53 caps
13. Duncan Taylor (Saracens) – 25 caps
12. Pete Horne VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 43 caps
11. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh) – 9 caps

10. Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – 15 caps
9. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps

1. Gordon Reid (Ayrshire Bulls) – 39 caps
2. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps
3. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 23 caps
4. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) – 6 caps
5. Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) – 21 caps
6. John Barclay CAPTAIN (Edinburgh) – 75 caps
7. Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 44 caps
8. Ryan Wilson VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 47 caps

Substitutes:
16. Stuart McInally (Edinburgh) – 31 caps
17. Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 23 caps
18. Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 33 caps
19. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 38 caps
20. Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh) – 9 caps
21. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – 13 caps
22. Henry Pyrgos (Edinburgh) – 27 caps
23. Chris Harris (Gloucester) – 12 caps