Scotland's low-key tour carries great importance: Unusual KOs, strong squad but notable absentees

For the second year running, Scotland are off on a summer tour which will see them play Test matches against the so-called Tier 2 nations. Last year’s jaunt to the Americas was one for the night owls and included matches against USA and Canada which kicked off back home at 11.30pm and 10pm respectively.

This time around Gregor Townsend’s side are heading east with a schedule more suited to (very) early risers. They’ll open with a non-cap game against Māori All Blacks in New Zealand which is scheduled for 4.35am UK time. Next comes Fiji in Suva which Townsend has already earmarked as the key match. That one kicks off at 4am. Scotland will conclude the tour back in New Zealand where they will take on Samoa in Auckland at the more respectable hour of 9.05am.

It might not seem like the most glamorous itinerary, especially when you consider it coincides with the British & Irish Lions’ tour of Australia, but Townsend has picked a squad he considers “almost as strong as possible”.

He is without his eight Lions, of course, but there is none of the left-field selections that characterised last summer’s tour. Eleven new players were capped in the Americas, a trip which also included Tests against Chile and Uruguay. Only three uncapped players are included this time and Fergus Burke, Alexander Masibaka and Fin Richardson all have experience of being in previous Scotland squads.

This is not a development tour and one of the chief reasons Townsend has eschewed experimentation is the proximity of the draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Scotland got stung badly last time, ending up in the proverbial Group of Death alongside South Africa, Ireland, Tonga and Romania and, for the second World Cup in a row, they were eliminated in the pool stage.

Unlike the 2023 World Cup, the 2027 draw is taking place closer to the tournament itself and will be made in December. It means Scotland only have the summer games against Fiji and Samoa and the autumn Tests against USA, New Zealand, Argentina and Tonga to improve their ranking. They are currently seventh but Townsend would like to be in the top six by the time of the draw. That would see them included in the top group of seeds for the expanded 2027 tournament which will be the first to feature 24 teams who will be split into six groups of four.

“We know that playing and winning Test matches for Scotland is really important,” said Townsend. “So we have to pick a strong squad to take on the likes of Fiji and Samoa. It's even more important this year with world ranking points.

“The World Cup draw is made after November, so these games are crucial to make sure we've got the best chance of being in that top six and getting a better seeding. There's always maybe one or two players that we've decided not to select. Not because of form, but because we think it's not right for them to go on tour at this time. But other than that, it's as strong a squad as we could select. The benefit of having that game against the Maori All Blacks will mean that everybody on tour will get game time.”

Townsend intends to play his strongest team against Fiji who are only two places behind Scotland in the world rankings but he is also mindful of Samoa who are ranked 14th. By comparison, last summer’s opponents are currently 15th (USA), 17th (Uruguay), 21st (Chile) and 24th (Canada).

“We knew we weren't playing teams ranked in the top 10, as we are on this tour, so that was a real opportunity for us to bring a lot more uncapped players,” said Townsend. “I think we had 11 new caps last year, this time it’s three, so it is a much stronger squad.

“And the games are important. The Test matches are important. They'll be tougher. So we need as strong a squad as possible to win those Test matches.”

Townsend will be without Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn, Duhan van der Merwe, Scott Cummings and Pierre Schoeman who will all be wearing Lions red this summer, and Scotland’s eighth Lion, Zander Fagerson, sadly had to withdraw this week due to injury. But the coach has still assembled a strong cast list which will be led by Rory Darge.

There is plenty of experience in the shape of Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie, Matt Fagerson, Rory Sutherland, Darcy Graham, George Horne and Ben White and also a welcome return for several players who missed out on the Six Nations such as Cameron Henderson, Andy Onyeama-Christie, Max Williamson, Adam Hastings, Cameron Redpath, Harry Paterson, Kyle Steyn and George Turner, the latter available again after ending his Japanese exile to sign for Harlequins. The timing of White’s involvement will depend on Toulon’s progress in the Top 14 play-offs. The scrum-half has helped the French side reach the quarter-finals and they will take on Castres on Saturday, with the semis and final scheduled for the following two weekends.

Of the three uncapped players both Burke and Masibaka were called into Six Nations squads this year and Richardson, the Glasgow Warriors tighthead prop, trained with Scotland in South America last summer to gain experience.

In the absence of Russell, Saracens stand-off Burke will be given a chance on tour although Tom Jordan and Hastings will also be vying for the No 10 jersey. Masibaka, of Soyaux Angouleme, offers another option in the back row, particularly with Jack Dempsey sidelined by a hamstring injury. Richardson, meanwhile, has impressed Townsend with the way he has stood up to Andrew Porter in recent matches against Leinster.

There are other notable absentees, besides the Lions. Freddy Douglas, the teenager who was fast-tracked into the autumn Test squad and came on against Portugal, will play for Scotland Under-20 in next month’s World Championships; hookers Dave Cherry and Dylan Richardson are still coming back from injury and Jonny Gray and Sam Skinner were not considered after long seasons during which both had injury issues.