Townsend urges Scotland to make tour a success

Summer Test: Scotland v Samoa

Venue: Eden Park, Auckland Date: Friday, 18 July Time: 08:35 BST

Gregor Townsend is urging his Scotland side to make sure their summer tour is remembered as a success by beating Samoa.

Townsend has made five personnel changes and one positional switch for Friday’s Test at Eden Park, Auckland (08:35 BST).

The Scots beat Maori All Blacks 29-26 in Whangarei but lost 29-14 to Fiji in Suva last weekend.

“Tours are remembered in part by what you experience off the field but also by how well you play and the results you produce,” said Townsend.

Townsend believes he is fielding his strongest possible XV. 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.

In the pack, Gregor Brown comes into the second row and Andy Onyeama-Christie takes over at blind-side flanker.

Tight-head Fin Richardson is a potential debutant off the bench, with experienced half-backs George Horne and Adam Hastings also listed as replacements.

Darcy Graham was red-carded in Saturday’s loss to Fiji and has since been summoned to join up with the British and Irish Lions, while Tom Jordan and Jamie Ritchie were already ruled out of Friday’s Test. Lock Marshall Sykes drops to the bench as Cameron Redpath misses out.

Loose-head prop Rory Sutherland and hooker Ewan Ashman will join up with the British and Irish Lions squad touring Australia after featuring against Samoa.

“Ewan and Rory were very keen to play,” Townsend explained. “They can get to Melbourne on Sunday the same time as the Lions are arriving. So as long as they are available to train on Monday and be available for the Lions game on Tuesday [against First Nations and Pasifika XV].

“Discipline can be a number of things that the referee can call you up on, not being offside just giving a bit of space that would be the first one that we can fix, even those borderline calls that we had at the weekend. We’ve got to take that out of the referee and assistant referee’s hands by showing space around the ruck.

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-Christie, Rory Darge (capt), Matt Fagerson.