A bit disappointed he didn’t opt for a bolder selection, coach Gregor Townsend will look to the full might of Scotland’s bench to secure victory over the Springboks on Saturday.
Townsend has made just three changes to the Scottish starting XV that beat Argentina last week, with Finn Russell back at 10 while Zander Fagerson and Gregor Brown come into the pack for the Nations Championship clash against the Springboks at Loftus.
Opting for a 6-2 bench, Townsend on Thursday outlined what he expects from reinforcements like Josh Bayliss, Magnus Bradbury and Stafford McDowall. He did, though, consider a 7-1 forwards split à la the Boks.
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“We feel that the bench is going to bring energy. It’s two physical backline players but it’s more about the six forwards,” he said. “We know that the forwards are going to be the ones that are really going to be tested this week against the best pack in world rugby.
“I’m a bit disappointed in myself that we didn’t go 7-1. That was discussed a lot during the week. When else are you going to have a 7-1 when you take on the Boks? They went 7-1 against us. In the end we went for 6-2. So, traditional for us!
“When we’ve got Magnus, obviously he’s ball carrying, and he’s one of our bigger back rowers, if not our biggest, that’s something he’s got to deliver,” Townsend added. “With Josh, it’s a different sort of physicality; it’s speed, it’s his ability to beat people one-on-one, work really hard.
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“I think we’d only be able to go 7-1 with Josh involved. He has done that role this year for Bath and he’s comfortable. He’ll be our third back this week if we have to go to three changes in the backline.
“We felt the right mix was the 6-2. If we have to put an extra forward on for whatever reason, Stafford has run that role for Glasgow at times.”
On the return of Russell and Brown, Townsend said both selections were straightforward calls: “With Finn available, obviously he’s someone who’s played a lot of games for us and we’d want him back in the team to face such a quality opponent.
“Likewise with Gregor Brown, I think we’ve seen him at training, how well he’s been performing and we feel it’s right that he’s back in the team.”
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He also touched on the significance of South African winger Kyle Steyn facing the world champions in his native country for the first time.
“We know what he brings to our team, both with his work rate, his skill, his aerial ability and his leadership over the last couple of seasons. It will be a big game for him. He’s got a lot of family in the area that will be at the game.
“None of the 23 have played a Test match against the Springboks in South Africa. To do it against the Springboks out here and to do it when they’re world champions, it’s obviously a game that will stand out in most of the players’ careers.”
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Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
The post Gregor to drop his Bomb Squad on Boks appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
A bit disappointed he didn’t opt for a bolder selection, coach Gregor Townsend will look to the full might of Scotland’s bench to secure victory over the Springboks on Saturday.
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