Former Bulls prop Schoeman to make Scotland debut

Scotland will be led by two co-captains for the first time as four players make their debuts for Gregor Townsend’s team against Tonga at Murrayfield on Saturday.

British and Irish Lions scrumhalf Ali Price and Edinburgh flanker Jamie Ritchie will share leadership duties in the Scottish capital.

Wing Rufus McLean and outside centre Sione Tuipulotu of Glasgow Warriors join lock Jamie Hodgson and loosehead prop Pierre Schoeman of Edinburgh and formerly the Bulls in winning their first Scotland caps.

Price will form a new halfback pairing with flyhalf Blair Kinghorn in the starting XV.

Edinburgh teammates Marshall Sykes and Luke Crosbie, and Glasgow halfbacks Jamie Dobie and Ross Thompson, are Scotland’s four uncapped replacements.

Scotland are seventh in the world rankings and will look to build on an encouraging 2021 Six Nations campaign. 

They won three games and finished fourth, achieving their first victory at Twickenham since 1983 and beating France in Paris for the first time since 1999.

Scotland’s four-match autumn series also includes sterner tests against Australia, world champions South Africa and Japan in November.

Scotland (15-1)

Darcy Graham; Kyle Steyn, Sione Tuipulotu, Sam Johnson, Rufus McLean; Blair Kinghorn, Ali Price (co-capt); Matt Fagerson, Hamish Watson, Jamie Ritchie (co-capt); Rob Harley, Jamie Hodgson; Zander Fagerson, George Turner, Pierre Schoeman

Bench: Stuart McInally, Jamie Bhatti, Oli Kebble, Marshall Sykes, Luke Crosbie, Nick Haining, Jamie Dobie, Ross Thompson