Nations Championship teams: Scotland at full strength for meeting with All Blacks at Murrayfield

Scotland v New Zealand, Saturday, 2.10pm

Scotland named a full-strength side on ‌Thursday for their clash against New Zealand in the Nations Championship at ‌Murrayfield on Saturday, making wholesale changes from their last outing.

Only Gregor ​Brown, who moves from the back of the scrum to the secondrow, and prop Rory Sutherland remain from the starting line-up ​in Scotland’s last Test against Fiji in mid-July when they won 33-17.

Sutherland starts at loosehead with Pierre Schoeman on the ‌bench, ‌making ​hooker Ewan Ashman the only player from Edinburgh Rugby in the starting XV while ⁠there are 10 ​players from Glasgow Warriors

Coach ​Gregor Townsend had some tough selection calls and picked ‌British & Irish Lion Huw Jones ​to make a comeback from injury alongside captain Sione ⁠Tuipulotu at centre, while ⁠Kyle Rowe ​got the nod for fullback ahead of Blair Kinghorn. Matt Fagerson returns from a groin injury to start at blindside flanker.

Scotland’s top two try scorers, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe, were left out of the matchday squad.

New Zealand have made ‌two changes to their starting line-up after a rampant performance in the Bledisloe Cup against ​Australia last month.

Ethan de Groot is restored to the frontrow at loosehead in ​place of George Bower, while Jordie Barrett returns from injury ⁠at centre in place of Timoci Tavatavanawai.

Bower and ‌Tavatavanawai ‌are ​named among the replacements, where there are three other changes from the 43-21 ⁠win over Australia ​in Sydney on October ​17th.

Asafo Aumua is chosen ahead of the injured ‌Samisoni Taukei’aho as hooker ​replacement, while Christian Lio-Willie replaces Shannon Frizell, who is ⁠also injured, and Anton ⁠Segner ​is preferred to Duplessis Kirifi, who was not chosen for the tour.

New Zealand are unbeaten in 33 past Tests against Scotland, with 31 wins and two draws.

SCOTLAND (v New Zealand): Kyle Rowe; Kyle Steyn, Huw ⁠Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (capt), Jamie Dobie; Finn Russell, Ben White; Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman, Zander Fagerson; Gregor Brown, Scott ‌Cummings; Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.

Replacements: Gregor Hiddleston, Pierre Schoeman, Will Hurd, Max Williamson, Josh ​Bayliss, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Blair Kinghorn.

NEW ZEALAND: Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea, Jordie ‌Barrett, Josh Moorby; Damian McKenzie, Cam Roigard; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor (capt), Fletcher ‌Newell; Scott Barrett, Fabian Holland; Tupou Vaa’i, Peter Lakai, Wallace Sititi.

Replacements: Asafo Aumua, George Bower, Pasilio Tosi, Christian Lio-Willie, Anton Segner, Cortez ​Ratima, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Rieko Ioane.

Italy v South Africa, Saturday, 11.40am

Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada made ‌10 changes, mostly enforced by injuries, when he named his side to ‌face South Africa in Saturday’s fixture in Turin, where flanker ​Samuele Locatelli will make his debut.

Quesada has been hit with a long list of injury absentees since their last match, a 57-10 ​loss against Australia in July, including captain Michele Lamaro, centre pairing Tommaso ⁠Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex, along with Sebastian Negri ‌and ‌Louis ​Lynagh.

Locatelli comes into the backrow after the 25-year-old took part in this ⁠year’s Six Nations ​training camp without making an ​appearance. Mirko Belloni is selected at fullback, with Ange Capuozzo ‌on the wing

Number eight ​Ross Vintcent drops to the bench and is replaced ⁠by Lorenzo Cannone, whose ⁠brother Niccolo ​is selected in the secondrow. Hooker Giacomo Nicotera will captain the side in the absence of Lamaro.

Italy lost all three Nations Championship matches in July, and host Argentina on November 14th in Genoa and Fiji one week later in Udine

As usual, South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus named his side early in the week and selected lock Salmaan ‌Moerat for the first time this year in an otherwise settled starting ‌XV.

​Moerat will add to his 11 caps and partner Ruan Nortje in the secondrow, behind hooker Malcolm Marx and props Ox Nche ​and Thomas du Toit. Siya Kolisi will captain the side ⁠alongside Pieter-Steph du Toit and number eight Jasper Wiese ‌in ‌the ​backrow.

ITALY (v South Africa): Mirko Belloni; Ange ⁠Capuozzo, Paolo Odogwu, Leonardo Marin, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Alessandro Fusco; Muhamed Hasa, Giacomo Nicotera, Simone Ferrari; Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza; Alessandro Ortombina, Samuele Locatelli, Lorenzo Cannone.

Replacements: Tommaso ​Di Bartolomeo, Danilo Fischetti, Ion Neculai, Enoch ​Opoku Gyamfi, Ross Vintcent, Manuel Zuliani, Stephen Varney, Tommaso Allan.

SOUTH AFRICA: Damian Willemse; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, ‌Damian de Allende, ⁠Ethan Hooker; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Morne van den Berg; Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, Thomas du Toit; Salmaan Moerat, Ruan Nortje; Siya Kolisi (capt), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese.

Replacements: Jan-Hendrik ​Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp, Wilco Louw, Lood de ​Jager, Cameron Hanekom, Paul de Villiers, Grant Williams, Manie Libbok.

France v Fiji, Saturday, 8.10pm

Uncapped loose forward Esteban Capilla could ‌make his France debut off the bench after being named ‌in the matchday 23 by coach Fabien Galthie for Saturday night’s ​fixture against Fiji in Lyon.

⁠Former Sevens ​player Capilla earns his place in the squad after an injury on Wednesday to Oscar Jegou.

Fiji have selected former England international Nathan ‌Hughes for Jake White’s second game in charge.

Fiji-born number eight Hughes, ​35, won 22 caps for England between 2016 and 2019 and gets another shot at international rugby late in his career.

He is eligible to ​represent Fiji under World Rugby’s revised Regulation 8, which allows players to switch ⁠international allegiance after a three-year absence from their previous national ‌team ‌provided ​they have a qualifying birthright connection and World Rugby’s approval.

Fiji also meet Ireland in Dublin on November 14th ‌and Italy in ⁠Udine a week later.

FRANCE: Théo Attissogbe; Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, Kalvin ⁠Gourgues, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (capt); Jean-Baptiste Gros, Maxime Lamothe, Sipili Falatea; Florian Verhaeghe, Mickaël Guillard; Cameron Woki, Paul Boudehent, François Cros.

Replacements: Peato ​Mauvaka, Jefferson Poirot, Regis Montagne, Charles ​Ollivon, Tom Staniforth, Esteban Capilla, Maxime Lucu, Emilien Gailleton.

FIJI: Salesi Rayasi; Selestino Ravutaumada, Iosefo Masi, Vinaya Habosi, Jiuta Wainiqolo; Isikeli Rabitu, Simione Kuruvoli; Eroni Mawi, Tevita ​Ikanivere (capt), Luke Tagi; Mesake Vocevoce, Isoa Nasilasila; Pita-Gus Sowakula, Kitione Salawa, Nathan Hughes.

Replacements: Zuriel Togiatama, Peni Ravai, Inoke Ravuiwasa, Peceli Yato, Elia Canakaivata, Frank Lomani, Ben Volavola, Sireli Maqala.

Wales v Japan, Saturday, 4.40pm

Sam Costelow will start at ‌outhalf ahead of Dan Edwards as Wales coach Steve Tandy ‌also named a new midfield for the fixture against ​Japan in Cardiff on Saturday.

Costelow will partner Tomos Williams at halfback, with Max Llewellyn and Eddie James forming ​a powerful centre pairing. Experienced Josh Adams and Louis Rees-Zammit ⁠are the two wings, with Blair Murray selected ‌at ‌fullback.

Japan have handed a debut ‌to outhalf Riku Kitahara, with the 27-year-old pairing up at halfback with Naoto Saito.

WALES (v Japan): Blair Murray; Louis Rees-Zammit, Eddie James, ‌Max Llewellyn, Josh ⁠Adams; Sam Costelow, Tomos Williams; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake (capt), Archie Griffin; Dafydd ‌Jenkins, Ben Carter; Alex Mann, Jac Morgan, Aaron Wainwright.

Replacements: Ryan Elias, Rhys ​Carre, Tomas Francis, Teddy Williams, James Botham, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Dan Edwards, Louie Hennessey.

JAPAN: Kazuma Ueda; Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Samisoni ‌Tua, Inoke Burua; Riku Kitahara, Naoto Saito; Yota Kamimori, Mamoru Harada, Shuhei Takeuchi; Harry Hockings, Warner Dearns; Ben Gunter, Kanji Shimokawa, Jack Cornelsen.

Replacements: Kenji Sato, Sojiro ​Otsuka, Opeti Helu, Michael Stolberg, Tiennan ​Costley, Kenta Fukuda, Shinya Komura, Jisu Lee.