Boks strike sweet spot between cohesion, competition and opportunity
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Gregor Townsend selects Lions-bound duo for Scotland clash with Samoa
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend revealed Rory Sutherland and Ewan Ashman are keen to play a full part against Samoa before heading off on British and Irish Lions duty. Townsend has selected the pair in his front row for Scotland's final summer tour encounter in Auckland on Friday. Advertisement Darcy Graham has already linked up with the Lions and Glasgow prop Sutherland and Edinburgh hooker Ashman will join him with a view to playing in next Tuesday's match against a First Nations & Pasifika XV. Townsend said: 'The fact we're playing Friday night and they can get to Melbourne on Sunday, the same time as the Lions are arriving, as long as they are available to train on Monday and be available for the game on Tuesday, there won't be any real consideration on game time. 'We hope every one of our players come through fit but Ewan and Rory were very keen to play.' Darcy Graham has joined up with the Lions (Jane Barlow/PA) Townsend was delighted with the additional Lions recognition, which took the number of Scots selected to 12, including the injured Zander Fagerson. Advertisement 'Especially for Darcy to go there now and be part of the Lions squad, building up to the first Test and then getting a really good run at potentially being involved in that midweek game,' he added. 'And the other two guys, they were buzzing when I passed on the news to them that they were going to be getting a phone call from the Lions and the players were really pleased for them as well. 'Maybe it's not in the front of their minds because they've been preparing for a Test match this week but I'm sure their focus will turn to the Lions as soon as Friday night is over.' Townsend has made five personnel changes following the 29-14 defeat by Fiji. Gregor Brown returns from injury to start in the second row while Andy Onyeama-Christie is drafted into the back row after Jamie Ritchie dropped out with a foot injury. Advertisement Rory Hutchinson and Stafford McDowall form a new centre partnership in place of Cameron Redpath and Tom Jordan, who suffered a fractured hand against Fiji. Arron Reed replaces Graham with Kyle Steyn swapping wings. Ben Muncaster is back from injury but has to settle for a place on the bench alongside uncapped Glasgow prop Fin Richardson. 'While there's a lot of changes, some of them were outwith our control,' Townsend said. 'But we've looked to put our strongest team out. We were disappointed with the result at the weekend and we want to finish this tour with a real strong performance and finish on a high from a playing point of view because off the field it's been excellent. Eden Park will host Scotland's Test against Samoa (David Davies/PA) 'We feel very privileged to be playing in such an iconic and historic stadium, Eden Park. It will be a great atmosphere, a noisy crowd, you'd mainly imagine supporting Samoa. It's one of the most iconic stadiums in world rugby. Advertisement 'A great opportunity for us to play a proper Test match in that stadium and finish the tour on a real high.' Townsend earmarked two main areas of improvement. 'The contact area,' he said. 'Just being more ruthless in that area, quicker in support, ball-carrying, working harder on the floor, just not allowing the opposition any opportunities to get the ball back. 'And our discipline. Discipline can be a number of things that the referee can call you up on, but not being offside, just giving them a bit of space, that would be the first one that we can fix.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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Lions tour 'so important' for Australia
Former Australia hooker Stephen Moore says the Lions tour is an opportunity to create another "golden period" for the Wallabies. The hosts are ranked eighth in the world but welcome the Lions to Australia with a home World Cup just two years away. Advertisement Australia beat the Lions in 2001, which set them on course to reach the final of the 2003 World Cup in Sydney, where they were beaten by England. "The Lions tour is a key moment in the rugby calendar for Australia," Moore told BBC Radio 5 Live. "If we do well in this series, it helps in growing participation, fan engagement, sponsorship and TV numbers. All these metrics go up if we do well and that is why this is so important for us. "Australia are not where they would like to be, that is pretty obvious and Australian rugby has been under pressure over recent years. "We are used to success in every sport in Australia and we are very lucky in our history to have some wonderful sportsman and rugby is a good example of that. Advertisement "If you look at the Lions tour in 2001 it kicked-off a great period for rugby in Australia leading into the World Cup. I know we lost the final but those few years were a real golden period for rugby in Australia and the current payers have the opportunity to replicate that. "With the Lions series going into a home World Cup, they won't get that again in their lifetime so it's so important."
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4 hours ago
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Five restored to Scotland line-up to face Samoa
Scotland have made five personnel changes and one positional switch for Friday's final tour match against Samoa at Eden Park, Auckland (09:05 BST). Kyle Steyn moves from left to right wing as Arron Reed comes in at 11 while Rory Hutchinson and Stafford McDowall make up a new centre partnership. Advertisement In the pack, Gregor Brown comes into the second row and Andy Onyeama-Christie takes over at blindside flanker. Darcy Graham was red carded in Saturday's loss to Fiji while Tom Jordan and Jamie Ritchie had been ruled out of Friday's Test. Lock Marshall Sykes drops to the bench while Cameron Redpath misses out. Loosehead prop Rory Sutherland and hooker Ewan Ashman will join up with the British and Irish Lions squad touring Australia after featuring against Samoa. Gregor Townsend's Scots beat Maori All Blacks 29-26 in Whangarei before last weekend's 29-14 defeat in Suva. Scotland XI to face Samoa Scotland: Kyle Rowe, Kyle Steyn, Rory Hutchinson, Stafford McDowall, Arron Reed, Fergus Burke, Jamie Dobie; Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman, Elliot Millar Mills, Gregor Brown, Grant Gilchrist, Andy Onyeama, Rory Darge (capt), Matt Fagerson. Advertisement Replacements: George Turner, Nathan McBeth, Fin Richardson, Cameron Henderson, Marshall Sykes, Ben Muncaster, George Horne, Adam Hastings. Related internet links
