Gregor Townsend selects Lions-bound duo for Scotland clash with Samoa
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.'
Townsend was delighted with the additional Lions recognition, which took the number of Scots selected to 12, including the injured Zander Fagerson.
'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.
Your Scotland team to take on Samoa in our final Skyscanner Pacific Tour match has been confirmed 🏴
More ➡️ https://t.co/XmbQfVZuyN pic.twitter.com/MfdXiLtaLJ
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) July 16, 2025
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.
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.
'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.
'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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
Your Guardian sport weekend: third Lions Test, England v India and Women's Open
The Lions have history on their minds as they head into the third and final Test against the Wallabies determined to sweep a series for the first time in living memory, with Lee Calvert keeping the updates flowing. No Lions team has even gone unbeaten since Willie John McBride's Invincibles in South Africa in 1974, when a controversial draw in the fourth match denied them the sweep. The Lions did sweep Argentina 4-0 in 1927 and also beat the Wallabies 2-0 three times in the 1950s and 1960s as part of losing tours of New Zealand, but you would need to go back to 1904 for the last 3-0 triumph on a trip solely to Australia. For Australia, Saturday is all about salvaging some pride after losing the second Test, and the series, to a last-minute try in Melbourne last week. The Wallabies have proved they can play by 'winning' the second half of the opening Test 14-10 in Brisbane and taking a 23-5 lead after half an hour of the second in Melbourne. Reporting from Sydney are Robert Kitson, Gerard Meagher and Angus Fontaine. After two weather-affected days of play at the Oval, day three gets underway, with Tanya Aldred and Rob Smyth your over-by-over hosts. India have faced England in 14 matches at the Oval, and seven have ended in a draw. India only have two wins, and those came 50 years apart. In 1971, and more recently in 2021's fourth Test. The tourists were then indebted to Shardul Thakur's twin half-centuries that rescued a 100-run first-innings deficit. Our reporting team at the Oval is Ali Martin, Barney Ronay and Simon Burnton. The eighth chapter of this year's race takes place in the mountains – the queen stage of the 2025 edition. Straight into the Bauges massif, on the way out of Chambéry comes the formidable Col de Plainpalais (13.2km at 6.3%). After the Col du Frêne, the race arrives at the Maurienne, where its toughest flank promises a rigorous test for the riders. Extending to 18.6km, with regular changes in gradient (averaging 8.1%) and a rough surface, it's a climb certain to spur breakaways. Amy Sedghi keeps the live updates flowing. Barry Glendenning has all the news, action and transfer updates as the EFL season begins with a full programme of League One and Two fixtures. Games to watch out for include Cardiff's first outing at Peterborough in the lunchtime kick-off. The Welsh club were relegated last season but a fresh start under new manager Brian Barry-Murphy offers hope. Huddersfield have also changed manager, bringing in Lee Grant for what is the former Stoke goalkeeper's first managerial role. They meet Leyton Orient, who made it to Wembley but fell just short in the playoff final. In League Two, Simon Mail is at MK Dons v Oldham. England begin their home World Cup on Friday 22 August against the United States in Sunderland but first up are two warm-ups: Spain at Leicester, followed by France next weekend. Flanker Abi Burton is expected to make her first Test start for England. The 25-year-old Trailfinders player scored two tries as a replacement on her international debut against Wales during the Six Nations before again coming off the bench in the successful Grand Slam decider against France. She will line up at blindside flanker in a back row that contains Marlie Packer as captain and Maddie Feaunati at eight. Luke McLaughlin reports from the King Power. Lando Norris finished second to McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri at Spa, the Australian once more edging clear as the title frontrunner with a 16-point lead. Mercedes, meanwhile, will be seeking to step up before the summer break in a fluctuating season for George Russell. The British driver claimed four podiums in the first six races, and one in the next seven, albeit his victory in Canada. Worryingly, a batch of hot upgrades to his car have made little improvement to his fortunes. 'It seems quite strange how we've gone so far backwards,' he quails. Tom Bassam follows the action live online, with Giles Richards at the Hungaroring. The Sussex meeting has certainly offered some surprises and the keenest of racing followers will no doubt be drawn to Saturday's Coral Stewards' Cup. Contenders include Group-class sprinter in the making Hammer The Hammer. Kevin Ryan's three-year-old only ran twice last year and his improvement this season has been startling. Runner-up first time back at Southwell, he then won there in March off a mark of 80 and won again off 82 before bolting up at Chester's May meeting off 88 when he was put away for Ascot. Greg Wood is up on the Trundle with reports and tipping expertise. The Alexander Stadium sees the UK's leading athletes contest for national titles and spots on the Great Britain team for this year's World Championships, which take place in India in October. Day one has plenty to offer, and culminates in the men and women's 100m finals. Ben Bloom reports from Birmingham. India trail 2-1 in the series after the first four Tests, their batters digging them out of a huge Old Trafford hole in the last Test, despite being nought for two in the first over and trailing by more than 300 runs. If anything this compelling, dramatic and often petulant series has shown time and again that it's direction can take an acute turn at any moment. Taha Hashim and James Wallace bring you all the action over by over from day four of the fifth Test at the Oval. Scott Murray keeps a watchful and expert eye on final-round developments at Royal Porthcawl. Japanese players Rio Takeda and Eri Okayama dominated the early rounds, with Chisato Iwai, Mao Saigo and Shiho Kuwaki offering a challenge. But there is certainly more to come from the 21-year-old sensation Lottie Woad as well as fellow English golfer Mimi Rhodes. The latter, a 23-year-old from Bath, played in the 2024 Curtis Cup before turning professional and has enjoyed a spectacular year on the Ladies European Tour with three victories. World No 1 Nelly Korda and home favourite Darcey Harry, from nearby Penarth and a Royal Porthcawl member, will keep the pressure on. Ewan Murray reports. This year's edition reaches what is certain to be a compelling if gruelling climax, the '100% Haute-Savoie' finale offering riders a last heave for glory. The day's action begins on the Côte d'Arâches-la-Frasse (6.2km at 7.1%), then on to the Joux Plane (11.6km at 8.5%), taking no prisoners on the Col du Corbier (5.9km at 8.5%). The climb towards the finish, at Pré la Joux, is steep as it passes through Châtel on the rough and tumble Route de la Bechigne. Plenty of drama to keep Amy Sedghi busy in the telling. Following a declaration of loyalty this week, Max Verstappen's break clause from his Red Bull deal can no longer be activated, after his fourth-placed finish in Belgium last Sunday ensured he will not be lower than third in the world championship at the summer intermission which follows Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix. As a sidebar to the internecine tussle of the McLarens, quite how defending world champion Verstappen – 81 points off the title pace – fares will be another keen narrative to follow at the Hungaroring. Dominic Booth keeps you updated with Giles Richards on reporting duties.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Why Andy Farrell should stay on as Lions coach for New Zealand in 2029 - as he targets 3-0 whitewash aganst Australia
History beckons for the Lions and Andy Farrell as coach. Some may think the last Test with Australia is a dead rubber given the Lions are 2-0 up. Not a bit of it. A whitewash is a real possibility and history shows what an achievement that would be. It would be the first clean sweep in the professional era, the first time since 1927. It would also be the first unbeaten tour since 1974 (Willie John McBride's famous 'Invincibles' drew the final Test in South Africa). These are remarkable statistics. I'm sure they will be driving Maro Itoje as captain, the squad and Farrell. They can seal their place in Lions history. But it is very difficult — nigh-on impossible, in fact — to compare Lions tours. The level of opposition Australia have provided hasn't been the same as in other series in the past. But the Lions can't do much about that. And the way they fought back from 18 points down to win in Melbourne was hugely impressive. That comeback will be remembered for a long time. We knew Farrell was a brilliant coach but his reputation has gone to another level this summer. If the Lions win 3-0, it will go up again. Farrell has to be the leading contender to be Lions coach in New Zealand in 2029. I don't see any reason why not as he has a contract with Ireland until the 2027 World Cup so will remain involved in Northern Hemisphere rugby. I love that Farrell hasn't made massive changes for the third Test. It shows he means business and is taking this game as seriously as the first two matches, if not more so. The Lions is the pinnacle. It is no place for handing out easy Test caps. It would have devalued the Lions concept. But that is not what Farrell is about. Farrell has stuck to his guns, making only two changes with James Ryan and Blair Kinghorn coming in. His selection has been consistent all series, changes mainly due to injury. The Lions won't lack for motivation on Saturday. Conversely, I wonder if the same can be said of Australia. They put in such a huge effort in the second Test and still lost. My experience tells me it is very difficult to respond to that. The third Test will be competitive. But I expect the Lions to pull clear in the final quarter and go three from three. That would start one hell of a party and one which would be entirely deserved.
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
'Good signings have made the squad stronger'
We asked for your views on how St Mirren are shaping up for the new season, which gets under way with a trip to champions Celtic on what some of you said: James: Every season fills us with expectations but we Buddies never take anything for granted. With a settled backroom team helping with consistency and a squad that has been enhanced by new additions we can hope for another keenly-fought season. As usual, the question of a consistent goalscorer has still to be addressed but our form over the last few seasons bodes well and we can all look forward for our next St Mirren will do well again this season. Good signings have made the squad stronger and with the expertise of Stephen Robinson, Saints could move up one or even two places in the We have already been top six three years in a row, it's going to be very difficult to make it four, but fingers and toes crossed.
