Scotland team to play Chile revealed as Gregor Townsend plans experiments

After selecting a battle-hardened line-up for the win over the USA last week, head coach Gregor Townsend has been more experimental this time around and he recalls a clutch of players who made their debuts in the 73-12 thrashing of Canada in the tour opener.

Six starters will win only their second caps and there is also likely to be a debut for Patrick Harrison, the young Edinburgh hooker, who is named among the replacements.

Sione Tuipulotu continues as co-captain but not alongside Rory Darge this week. The Glasgow Warriors openside is on the bench and Jamie Ritchie shifts from six to seven and will share the captaincy with Tuipulotu. Ritchie was Scotland skipper from October 2022 through to last year’s Rugby World Cup.

There are 10 personnel changes in all to the starting XV from the 42-7 victory over the US in Washington DC.

Jamie Dobie, primarily a scrum-half, comes back into the side on the right wing in a move which sees Kyle Steyn shift to outside centre in place of Huw Jones. Arron Reed, who scored two tries on his debut in the tour opener against Canada, replaces Duhan van der Merwe on the left wing.

Ben Healy is given his first start of the tour at stand-off, with Adam Hastings moving to the bench, and is partnered by scrum-half Gus Warr who, like his Sale club-mate Reed, scored a try double against the Canadians on his international bow.

An all-new front row of Nathan McBeth, Dylan Richardson and Will Hurd takes over from Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman and Murphy Walker. The new trio have just four caps between them. Ewan Johnson of Oyonnax wins his second cap after coming off the bench against Canada and partners Alex Craig in the second row. Ritchie is joined in the back row by Gregor Brown, the young Glasgow Warriors forward who also made his debut against Canada, and the Bath No 8 Josh Bayliss.

The five players retained form the starting line-up against the US are Kyle Rowe, who is again picked at full-back, Steyn, Tuipulotu, Craig and Ritchie.

Max Williamson, another debutant in Ottawa, is on the bench and in line to play for the third week in a row.

Scotland team (v Chile, Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Saturday, 8pm BST. Caps in brackets)

15. Kyle Rowe - Glasgow Warriors (5)

14. Jamie Dobie - Glasgow Warriors (4)

13. Kyle Steyn - vice-captain - Glasgow Warriors (21)

12. Sione Tuipulotu - co-captain - Glasgow Warriors (26)

11. Arron Reed - Sale Sharks (1)

10. Ben Healy - Edinburgh (6)

9. Gus Warr - Sale Sharks (1)

1. Nathan McBeth - Glasgow Warriors (1)

2. Dylan Richardson – Sharks (2)

3. Will Hurd - Leicester Tigers (1)

4. Alex Craig - Scarlets (3)

5. Ewan Johnson – Oyonnax (1)

6. Gregor Brown - Glasgow Warriors (1)

7. Jamie Ritchie - co-captain - Edinburgh (50)

8. Josh Bayliss - Bath (6)

Replacements

16. Patrick Harrison - Edinburgh (uncapped)

17. Pierre Schoeman - Edinburgh (32)

18. Javan Sebastian - Edinburgh (8)

19. Max Williamson - Glasgow Warriors (2)

20. Rory Darge - Glasgow Warriors (20)

21. Adam Hastings - Glasgow Warriors (28)

22. Stafford McDowall - Glasgow Warriors (3)

23. Matt Currie - Edinburgh (2)