Scotland make six changes for second Test against Japan
Thursday 23 June 2016 08:44, UK
Scotland head coach Vern Cotter has made six changes to his side to face Japan in the second Test in Tokyo on Saturday.
Scrum-half Henry Pyrgos, wing Sean Maitland and centre Peter Horne all come off the bench to start the match, with Pyrgos taking on the captaincy and kicking duties from Greig Laidlaw.
Maitland is promoted in place of Damien Hoyland, with Sean Lamont coming into the squad among the substitutes, while Horne comes into midfield in place of the injured Duncan Taylor (hamstring), prompting a move to outside-centre for Matt Scott to accommodate the Warriors playmaker.
In the pack, Rory Sutherland remains in possession of the loosehead berth he inherited in the third minute of last weekend's Test win over Japan, when Alasdair Dickinson limped off with a hamstring injury, earning his first start for the national team.
On the other side of the front-row, Moray Low swaps places with try-scorer Willem Nel to start his first Test since the 2014 summer tour win over Canada in Toronto, while Josh Strauss comes in to the back-row for John Hardie, with John Barclay moving to openside to make room for Strauss on the blindside.
Other notable inclusions see prop Gordon Reid - who arrived in Tokyo on Monday - take up a spot among the replacements, with uncapped centre Huw Jones set for an international debut if called upon from the bench.
Cotter said: "Continuity has been key for us since we began this season a year ago and in front of us is the need to put in another good, 80-minute performance against a team looking to bounce back from defeat last weekend.
"It was a very tiring game and we expect something similar this weekend.
"They'll be very physical and relentless. That's how they beat South Africa only a year ago in the opening round of the Rugby World Cup, so we know to expect a committed, tenacious team."
"We're looking for improvements all over the field this Saturday but especially holding on to the ball at critical times.
"Our pressure through set phase was good last weekend with a lot of time invested in upping the level of impact that can have on the game; contesting their scrums and their lineouts.
"We want to be able to control this game as best we can."
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Matt Scott, 12 Peter Horne, 11 Sean Maitland, 10 Ruaridh Jackson, 9 Henry Pyrgos (c); 1 Rory Sutherland, 2 Stuart McInally, 3 Moray Low, 4 Richie Gray, 5 Jonny Gray, 6 Josh Strauss, 7 John Barclay, 8 Ryan Wilson
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Willem Nel, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 John Hardie, 21 Greig Laidlaw, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Sean Lamont
