What Scotland new boys will bring v USA as duo backed to shine despite lack of clubs starts

The national side open their autumn campaign against the USA at Murrayfield on Saturday and it’s a match that shouldn’t pose too many problems for the hosts, despite Townsend being obligated to pick a team made up of home-based players.

The coach is using the match as an opportunity to field two new faces, with former Scotland Under-20 captain Liam McConnell picked to start at six and his Edinburgh team-mate Harri Morris selected on the bench as back-up hooker.

It should be a notable occasion for both, and also for Duhan van der Merwe who has been passed fit and will win his 50th cap.

First installment of a four-part series

However, the match is only the first installment of a four-part series which will peak in the middle weeks with games against New Zealand and Argentina before coming to a conclusion against Tonga on November 23.

Scotland, famously, have never beaten the All Blacks and the game a week on Saturday has the potential to be the sort of blockbusting occasion which a packed Murrayfield can deliver on an autumn afternoon. New Zealand looked short of their best in the recent Rugby Championship, losing to Argentina and South Africa, and will come to Edinburgh on the back of a testing engagement with Ireland in Chicago.

Townsend was asked on Thursday if he was targeting four victories in November. He didn’t shy away from the question but did say it would ultimately come down to the players.

“Yes, I think we have to go into every game with a focus on winning, a game plan that we believe can get us a win,” said the coach.

It’s down to the players

“We certainly believe the players can get us wins against any team we come up against, but it's really then down to them. It's how you adapt during a game if you're ahead, if you're behind, what's working, what's not working. The quicker we get into that cycle, whether it's at training, in particular this weekend, of enabling them to make decisions, the closer we will be to playing at our best.”

While the New Zealand game hovers temptingly on the horizon, Townsend and his squad are focused on this weekend and the visit of the Americans. The Scots beat the US 42-7 in Washington DC in summer 2024 but they go into Saturday’s game missing some star quality.

The match falls outside the designated international window so Townsend has no access to his English and French-based players which means the likes of Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn, Ben White and Jamie Ritchie are all missing. In addition, the coach has decided to leave out his captain, Sione Tuipulotu, ahead of the stiffer tests which follow. Stafford McDowall will lead the team on Saturday, with his Glasgow team-mates Scott Cummings and Jamie Dobie named as vice-captains.

McConnell and Morris bring ‘aggression’

It’s a compact schedule, with four Test matches in 23 days and Townsend does not expect any of his squad to play all the games. The opener will allow him to run the rule over McConnell, who has started all four of Edinburgh’s games this season.

“We've selected him on what he's been doing with Edinburgh, but also his potential,” said Townsend. “We've seen an all-round game from him already this season, his skills in attack, his little short passes, offloads, his ball-carrying ability, his confidence to show his skills under pressure, and those are the really additional elements because what really impressed with Liam back in the under-20s and whenever we've had him in our environment, is his aggression, his effort. He was one of the fittest players I know coming through Edinburgh's pre-season, so he's put in the work and now he's getting the rewards.”

Morris is another whose aggression is one of his biggest assets and, like McConnell, it is in contrast to his off-field persona.

“Often personalities of players off the field can be very different when they cross that white line and we see that from Liam, we see that from Harri Morris too,” added Townsend. “And it fits with the type of player we believe will thrive at Test level, especially in the forwards. You need players that love that contact area, that will go forward, go towards opposition and attack and defence and I'm sure they'll do that this weekend.”

Morris hasn’t played a competitive match for Edinburgh’s first team this season but Townsend isn’t overly concerned. Paddy Harrison, the first-choice hooker against the US, is another who hasn’t started for Edinburgh although he has made appearances off the bench.

“Both those players will be full of motivation and energy that they feel they could have played more minutes,” said Townsend. “In that position you're really looking for work rate and energy and they'll bring that. Paddy has always played really well when he's had the opportunity to play for Scotland. He started against Portugal last year. Anytime he's come off the bench he's made big impacts. They're in a competitive situation with Ewan [Ashman] playing so well at Edinburgh.”

Glasgow partnerships in the back line

Ashman has been rested for the US game, along with Kyle Steyn, Matt Fagerson and Gregor Brown but there is still plenty of experience in the side. Darcy Graham starts and both he and van der Merwe will resume their quest to outdo each other in the all-time Scotland try-scoring stakes. Van der Merwe leads on 31, one ahead of Graham. The back three is completed by Kyle Rowe who will start at full-back.

Ollie Smith partners McDowall in the centre, returning to the position he broke through at as a youth. And there is also a Glasgow combination at half-back, with Adam Hastings linking up with Dobie.

Up front, Harrison will have Rory Sutherland and D’Arcy Rae either side of him and tighthead prop Rae will be making his first start for Scotland, six years after his debut.

Update on Zander Fagerson and Rory Darge

Marshall Sykes joins Cummings in the second row, and the back row comprises McConnell, Dylan Richardson and Jack Dempsey.

Townsend has gone for a 6-2 split of forwards and backs on the bench and tighthead prop Murphy Walker is included among the replacements after torrid time with injury.

Zander Fagerson and Rory Darge, two of Scotland’s most influential players, are continuing to work their way back to fitness. Fagerson trained with the team on Tuesday and Wednesday but Darge is not yet at that stage and Townsend was unable to say if he would be available for the New Zealand game.

Scotland team to face USA

Scotland v USA (Murrayfield, Saturday, 5:40pm)

Scotland: 15. Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors); 14. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), 13. Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors), 12. Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors, capt), 11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh); 10. Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), 9. Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors, vice-capt); 1. Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors), 2. Patrick Harrison (Edinburgh), 3. D'Arcy Rae (Edinburgh), 4. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), 5. Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh), 6. Liam McConnell (Edinburgh), 7. Dylan Richardson (Edinburgh), 8. Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors).

Replacements: 16. Harri Morris (Edinburgh), 17. Nathan McBeth (Glasgow Warriors), 18. Murphy Walker (Glasgow Warriors), 19. Alex Samuel (Glasgow Warriors), 20. Max Williamson (Glasgow Warriors), 21. Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh), 22. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), 23. Ross Thompson (Edinburgh).

USA: 15. Erich Storti; 14. Mitch Wilson, 13. Dominic Besag, 12. Tommaso Boni, 11. Toby Fricker; 10. Chris Hilsenbeck, 9. Ruben de Haas; 1. Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 2. Kaleb Geiger, 3. Pono Davis, 4. Marno Redelinghuys, 5. Jason Damm (capt), 6. Viliami Helu, 7. Cory Daniel, 8. Paddy Ryan.

Replacements: 16. Sean McNulty, 17. Payton Telea-Ilalio, 18. Maliu Niuafe, 19. Tevita Naqali, 20. Makeen Alikhan, 21. Ethan McVeigh, 22. Tavite Lopeti, 23. Luke Carty.