Scotland see two more stars leave squad ahead of Fiji with one having surgery

Gregor Townsend’s side play their third and final Nations Championship fixture of the summer block at Murrayfield against the Pacific Islanders on Saturday. There was already expected to be significant rotation in the starting XV and replacements when the team is named on Thursday before the trio were confirmed to be unavailable.

The head coach confirmed in the aftermath of their 42-28 defeat to South Africa that Samuel was facing time out after injuring his knee while Darge was replaced at half time in Pretoria after failing a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) and is ruled out through protocol. As for Steyn, it was confirmed by national team coach John Dalziel that he had undergone surgery on a foot problem that they had been aware of for some time.

Scotland winger has surgery on long term foot issue with flanker missing out through HIA protocols

He explained: “Rory, in terms of protocol, missed training today, he's done his bit physically for us as well. We've known for a while Kyle, at Glasgow and wherever he's been, has had a problem a few times with a stress fracture in the foot.

“It was always planned before we even went on tour that he would get to this Monday. He did his part the first two tests and it was always that way so he was operated on yesterday so he's out.”

Fiji were hammered 73-8 by England on Saturday having also lost their Nations Championship opener to Wales 39-24. In terms of how the team could look for the Fiji match, Dalziel said: “We've had a plan for all three of these. Obviously we've got to remember we're at the end of a long season.

“There were changes from Argentina into South Africa and we'll freshen up the team a little bit there. But this is a game we need to win against a really quality opposition. Their performance against Wales was outstanding, that's the true Fiji. And we know that first 30 minutes they could have been well up in that game.

“So we're going to expect a bit of a backlash at the weekend. We know the quality that we're playing against and we have to have a team out there that can win the Test match.”

Playing a brutal Test at Loftus Versfeld against the number one side in the world, famed for their physicality, is always going to take its toll but Dalziel confirmed the players were ready to get back to it if required in Edinburgh this weekend. He added: “I was just looking at the guys and how resilient and how quickly they turn around is unbelievable now with the travel.

“We've seen it in all the legs, Spain into Argentina, Argentina into South Africa, and there was a real sleep deprivation at the end of that week. and then they put out a performance like that and then travel back, a couple of hours off yesterday really and then they're back into it today. We're seeing it as a walk-jog and they're sticking shoulders into each other and they're ready to go.

“By the time tomorrow they'll be full contact again and build towards the weekend. We're resilient, we're fit, they're in a good place and really what I'm pleased with is the smiles on their faces. That disappointment this morning in the unit meetings and now it's into making sure that we finish this campaign well.”

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