Why picking Scotland team to face Uruguay was one of Gregor Townsend's easiest ever selections

The national squad has been training as a group of 29 this week. But four of them - uncapped trio Ben Afshar, Rob Carmichel and Fin Richardson along with France-based Ewan Johnson - were only meant to be considered for selection in the event of an injury to someone else. Thankfully, no such injury occurred, and so Plan A - to choose that matchday 23 from the remaining 25 men - was able to proceed.

In other words, choosing the team for the match in Montevideo was more about who to leave out than who to select. The unlucky two are Glasgow prop Nathan McBeth and Edinburgh centre Matt Currie, although the consolation for both is that they made their debuts on the first game of the tour against Canada and have acquitted themselves well.

“We looked at game time over the first three games and we planned to make sure that players who might be missing out this weekend would be involved heavily in those three games,” Townsend said last night. “Matt's been involved in three games and Nathan in two.

“I'm sure it will be slightly frustrating [for them] watching the team prepare this weekend, but they've had really good tours. Matt has really stood out in the three games he's played - in the first game around the contact area and his work rate and at the weekend there with his skill-set, creating tries and scoring tries. And Nathan has done well too.”

The Uruguay game takes place outside the recognised international window, meaning only Edinburgh and Glasgow players are available for selection. There was a time when that would have provoked apprehension among the Scotland support, with weaknesses in certain areas of the squad being all too apparent. But this group has a reassuringly solid look to it, with some of its less experienced members such as Harry Paterson and Max Williamson already having the air of long-term prospects about them.

Paterson is one of 13 changes from the line-up that began last week’s win over Chile. Kyle Rowe and Ben Healy are the two starters who also began the win in Santiago, with Rowe moving from full-back to wing to accommodate Paterson.

With Rory Darge captaining from the back row and winger Duhan van der Merwe going in search of a new national try-scoring record, this side should be too strong for opponents who lost 79-5 to neighbours Argentina at the weekend. Even so, Townsend has warned his players that the Uruguayans should not be taken lightly.

“They were the strongest team when we were coming into this tour because of what they did at the World Cup and also because of the games they were going to get prior to us,” he explained. “They played France two weeks ago and Argentina at the weekend, so they were better prepared at playing Test teams.

“They didn’t perform that well at the weekend, we realise that, so it often makes it a little bit tougher for you because you know you’re going to get a reaction. And we’ve got to make sure our players look at what they did at the World Cup, where they pushed France close, where they were leading against Italy going into the final quarter of the game - and when they played France just recently when they had opportunities to be ahead in the game.

“We’re expecting a real physical team. They’re strong around the tackle area, get a lot of jackle turnovers, they come off the line in defence and they’re a big pack - they scored a pushover try against France 10 days ago. So it will be a test for our forwards at the weekend.”

Still, provided the forwards pass that test and give as good as they get, the backs will get the ball they need to do some serious damage, with Huw Jones in particular expected to be in the mood to wreak some havoc on the occasion of his 50th cap. There was a spell a few years ago when Jones could not even get into the Glasgow team, never mind the national side, as the view in some quarters was that his attacking prowess was more than counter-balanced by his susceptibilities in defence. But for some time now he has been a more well-rounded player, one who has impressed Townsend with his strength of character as well as his evident ability.

“You always want every player you work with to do well and achieve special things, but you know there are going to be some that miss out,” the coach said of the centre. “And I felt really tough for Huw back when he didn’t make the World Cup in 2019, when he wasn’t getting selected much.

“He had to go through that period and overcome some serious injuries to be a better player and he’s definitely that now. And he’s now in the best form of his career and has become an all-round player. He’s still got those running lines, ability to break through tackles, passing was always very good - but he’s also an excellent defender and his contact work has improved.

“I know he’s loving his rugby career, his family life as well, and you can tell the positivity and joy that he brings when he’s playing. He’s in a good place in his life and his game.”

Jones is in a good place, Scotland are in a good place, and they should prove as much with a solid win in the Estadio Charrua on Saturday.