Townsend able to go full energy towards Fiji in opening Autumn Take a look at

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend insists he has picked his strongest group to face Fiji at Murrayfield on Saturday – however there isn’t any place within the squad for former captain Jamie Ritchie.

Townsend’s facet will welcome the free-flowing Fijians within the opening match of the Autumn Nations Sequence in entrance of a sold-out crowd on the nationwide stadium.

With the sport falling outdoors of the official Take a look at window, Scotland’s squad is made up nearly completely of home gamers primarily based with Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh.

Sione Tuipulotu will captain the facet at centre in what’s a powerful backline alongside Huw Jones, Duhan van der Merwe and the fit-again Darcy Graham.

However the absence of Ritchie, the back-rower who captained Scotland eventually 12 months’s World Cup, is solely a variety known as primarily based on kind.

Ritchie was out and in of the group throughout this 12 months’s Six Nations as a result of poor kind – and Townsend has challenged him to combat his means again to face world champions South Africa subsequent weekend.

‘Yeah, it’s a variety name,’ mentioned Townsend, who has as a substitute chosen an all-Glasgow Warriors again row of Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey.

‘I feel the Glasgow again row are in actual kind. Jamie’s competing with Rory, who’s the vice-captain at openside, and clearly Matt at blindside.

‘With Jack Dempsey as properly, these three have gotten the nod. With Gregor Brown, we really feel that he’s actually added one thing off the bench.

‘It permits Jamie to give attention to subsequent week and he can actually compete with others to be within the squad for South Africa.’

Fiji can be with out a number of of their star gamers who’re primarily based at golf equipment round Europe and can as a substitute have to pick out their very own home squad.

However Townsend continues to be cautious of the risk they may pose, particularly given their good kind which noticed them beat Japan 41-17 just a few weeks in the past.

‘This can be a really robust Take a look at match,’ he mentioned. ‘This Fijian group, I feel 11 out of the beginning 15 have simply crushed Japan by scoring 40 factors. They’ve had a fantastic summer season.

‘This can be a harder take a look at as a result of we’re enjoying towards a cohesive Fijian group which were collectively all season.

‘In order that’s primary. We’ve received a accountability to win Take a look at matches and put out what we imagine is our strongest group to do this.

‘Quantity two is we’ve received a sport towards the world champions in eight days’ time and we’d like our gamers to be up to the mark. We’ve solely had two coaching classes.

‘So one of the simplest ways to do this is getting them out, enjoying collectively, enjoying Take a look at match stage.

‘So, yeah, that’s why we’ve picked what we imagine is our strongest group. Concerning alternatives for others to play, they’ll come throughout this era. Now we have 4 take a look at matches plus an A sport.

‘We’ve received a core of 45 now. That’ll lengthen to 50 after we go into the ultimate weekend after we’re enjoying Chile and Australia. However we might combine issues up for the Portugal sport.’