Kelly Brown: Wins his 50th Test cap
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Scotland coach Andy Robinson has made five changes to his starting XV for Sunday's Test against New Zealand at Murrayfield.
The changes made from the team that rounded off the southern hemisphere tour with a last-gasp win against Samoa in June - following on earlier successes against Australia and Fiji - see Nick De Luca return for the injured Joe Ansbro at centre, Mike Blair starts instead of the recuperating Chris Cusiter and Geoff Cross, Jim Hamilton and captain Kelly Brown appear in the pack in place of Euan Murray, Alastair Kellock and Richie Vernon.
Brown will captain Scotland for the first time and wins his 50th cap, while there are first international starts at Murrayfield for Edinburgh backs Matt Scott and Tim Visser as well as Glasgow Warriors prop Ryan Grant.
Lock Richie Gray has made good progress from his ankle injury sustained on club duty last month and is pencilled in to play, subject to a fitness test later this week.
On the bench, Glasgow Warriors' uncapped 23-year-old scrum-half Henry Pyrgos is rewarded for his fine form in recent weeks with a first-ever involvement in a Scotland matchday squad.
Robinson knows his side will have to perform at their best against the All Blacks who will be keen to return to their winning ways after they drew their last match against Australia in Brisbane last month.
"For our first game of the season we will really need to start well and keep the game simple," he said.
"New Zealand are the world champions and they perform the basic skills, well, under the highest pressure.
"We need to step up from the summer tour and be ready to go toe to toe in a physical contest, just as Australia did most recently against New Zealand in Brisbane.
"Congratulations to Kelly Brown who will captain Scotland for the first time and will join distinguished company in winning his 50th cap."
Brown is the 32nd Scot to reach the milestone of 50 caps.
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Lamont, 13 Nick De Luca, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Greig Laidlaw, 9 Mike Blair,8 Kelly Brown, 7 Ross Rennie, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Jim Hamilton, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Geoff Cross, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Ryan Grant.
Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson, 17 Allan Jacobsen, 18 Kyle Traynor, 19 Alastair Kellock, 20 David Denton, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23 Max Evans.
Date: Sunday, November 11
Kick-off: 14:30 GMT
Venue: Murrayfield
Referee: Jerome Garces (France)
Assistant referees: Pascal Gauzere (France) and Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official:Graham Hughes (England)
Comments
porridge_time says...
New Zealand don't leak many tries so Scotland will need to be a lot more creative than in they have been in the past. The Scottish pack are big, but are they mobile enough to compete with the pace and accuracy that the ABs bring whether its a first or second XV selection? Personally I don't think they are and envisage a comfortable win for the tourists.
Posted 18:28 07th November 2012
atg77 says...
@Ferdie thanks for that... explains it. This is certainly one of the best Scotland teams to face the ABs in a long time. We have genuine talent out wide in Visser and Hogg, an inventive half-back pairing, arguably the biggest locking pairing in world rugby (Gray and Hamilton must weight close to a quarter ton combined) and a competitive back row. If NZ put out a 2nd string team against us as expected, I think we can compete for the 80 minutes, score some decent tries(Visser!) and leave with our head held high. The real opportunity victory will be the following week against the boks, who Scotland defeated 2 years ago with a much weaker side than now. (minus Visser, Hogg, Scott, Laidlaw, Gray, Denton)
Posted 15:48 07th November 2012
PREEST says...
Scotland won't win this won. But it might be a good opportunity to see how some of their new guys go.
Posted 07:08 07th November 2012
cuw3100 says...
" Spartacus says...: Scotland will be very competitive at numbers 1-9 and should at least match NZ. '
Seriously?
Read v Brown!
McCaw v Rennie!
just a couple of examples :)
The MIB are raw at 2nd row (Big Brad is one of a kind).; others are all a class above Scotland for sure.
Posted 06:34 07th November 2012
Cdn_content says...
Actually that's not a bad back line, can't wait to c visser vs the abs, he's on the doorstep of super stardom. How Hogg fairs should be interesting as well.
Posted 02:46 07th November 2012
Ferdie says...
atg77 - it's a new one:
Law 3.4 Players Nominated as Substitute
Amend Law 3.4 to read:
For international matches a Union may nominate up to eight replacements / substitutes.
Please note - Law 3.4 trial is for application from the November window international matches.
Posted 01:46 07th November 2012
LeftRightOut says...
@atg77 -
"Lock Richie Gray has made good progress from his ankle injury sustained on club duty last month and is pencilled in to play, subject to a fitness test later this week" - I think that explains the additional player on the bench - it will drop to a team of 22 once they know about Gray
Posted 22:44 06th November 2012
Warrior7 says...
Surely Grove should be ahead of de Luca for the 13 shirt?
Posted 22:32 06th November 2012
melkdave says...
Its a good team imo,echo some posters thoughts on S.Lamont over M.Evans ,but im guessing ARand co have gone for physicality .They will be hoping he can burst though in the centers channals ect.I also have to admit N.de Luca has played better outside M.Scott than he ever has before in a Scotland jersey,though im still not convinced about his defence being international standard.Maybe when/if Maitland gets into the squad ,it will allow S.Hogg to play 13 ,but thats 6Ns time most probily.The D.Denton question ,well imo he hasnt really made the same impact this year ,his struggled a bit imo,so can understand A.Strokosch ,getting the nod as starter and Denton being on the bench as impact.Anyway Scotland should make the ABs work hard for any victory ,and i feel this team will at least do that
Posted 21:36 06th November 2012
connaughtabu says...
God help poor old Scotland.
@Spartacus: Got to admire your optimism!! :-))
All Blacks by 30 points, I fear
Posted 20:17 06th November 2012
Isograford says...
I think this will be a fairly well contested match. Despite the media and some fans here in New Zealand believing this to be a superior All Black side to the World Cup winning one, and some foolishly thinking this is the best AB side ever, that's far from the truth.
Now if we were running out with Brad Thorn, Jerome Kaino and especially Sonny Bill Williams still in the side, the latter two clearly the best in the world in their positions, i'd be a lot more confident of a comfortable victory.
Posted 18:39 06th November 2012
Spartacus says...
Scotland will be very competitive at numbers 1-9 and should at least match NZ. Behind that the gulf in ball skills is too big and NZ will murder them if they make the usual mistakes.
Posted 14:58 06th November 2012
atg77 says...
Firstly, did I miss something... When they the IRB start allowing for an eight man bench? don't get me wrong, it's definately a good thing. As for selections, I cannot understand why Sean Lamont continually gets picked. I don't even remember the last time he scored. Max Evans offers alot more danger and unpredictability. Would have gone for Jackson at 10 with Laidlaw at 9, but that would be way too radical for a conservative coach live Robinson. All in all, not a bad selection I suppsoe. Should give NZ a good run for their money and the score should be alot less than people think. It pains me to think it, but I'm thinking NZ by 15-20 points. It will be a perfect warm-up for the Springboks game however, which I firmly beleive Scotland will win (Just like we did in 2010 with a much weaker Scottish team.) Some on Scotland!
Posted 13:53 06th November 2012
Houston_11 says...
Probably would have went for Denton at 8 and Brown at 6... more rounded back row in my opinion with an out and out ball stealer in Rennie at 7. Going to have to glue themselves to Laidlaw however as that will definitely be a defensive weakspot.
More importantly; what in the blue hell is De Luca doing at 13!? How many chances do Scotland want to give this guy!? In short, he is nowhere near international standard.
Posted 12:49 06th November 2012
spam says...
No real surprises, would like to have seen Andy bring in some of the new boys that are playing well in the Pro12. Hopefully Pyrgos gets a game. Also nice to see Dan Parks in the picture, I missed his pencil thin chops, I think Brown shave his like that.
Posted 12:45 06th November 2012