Scotland debutant Burke ‘up there with best 10s’

Summer Test: Fiji v Scotland

Fergus Burke’s game management “is up there with the best 10s”, says head coach Gregor Townsend after opting to give the fly-half his Scotland debut against Fiji.

The 25-year-old New Zealander – who qualifies through his Edinburgh-born grandfather – will win his first cap in Saturday’s summer test in Suva.

And Townsend believes the Saracens player has the skillset to shine.

“He has been excellent this year. I think the most important element is how physical he has been carrying the ball and his defence,” the head coach said.

Burke is one of 14 changes from last Saturday’s 29-26 win over Maori All Blacks, with only lock Marshall Sykes keeping his place.

Townsend admits such sweeping changes for the second game of the Pacific tour brings “an element of risk” but believes history shows it is the right approach.

“You don’t get the continuity but this team has trained together for the last two or three weeks, and trained against the team that played against the Maori,” he said.

“What we will have is fresh team, too. Not many of them played against the Maori and they are raring to go.”

Scotland were commanding 57-17 winners when they played Fiji at Murrayfield eight months ago.

On that day, the tourists were without some of their best players because the game fell outside the international window, while this time it will be the Scots who will be missing big names because of the British & Irish Lions tour.

The Fijians also ran Australia close in a 21-18 defeat last Sunday.

“Their biggest strength is their physicality – they are probably the biggest men and most powerful men in world rugby,” Townsend said.

Scotland: Kyle Rowe, Darcy Graham, Cameron Redpath, Tom Jordan, Kyle Steyn, Fergus Burke, Jamie Dobie; Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman, Elliot Millar Mills, Marshall Sykes, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie, Rory Darge (capt), Matt Fagerson.