Scots all change for All Blacks
Frank Hadden insists his selection reflects the fixture congestion
Also In The News
|
Blackburn Rovers suffered their first loss of the season after a shock 2-0 loss to Larissa in the first leg of their Uefa Cup first round tie. |  |
Friday, 21, Sep 2007 03:56
Scotland head coach Frank Hadden has made as many as 13 changes to his team to face Rugby World Cup favourites New Zealand at Murrayfield on Sunday.
Only Chris Paterson and Simon Webster remain from the XV that started the 42-0 win over Romania on Tuesday, and even then both have switched positions.
Paterson, Scotland's first-choice place-kicker, moves in from the wing to play at fly-half while Webster takes Paterson's place out wide after starting at centre in the last game.
Hadden has chosen to rest regular captain Jason White so veteran lock Scott Murray – Scotland's most-capped player – will lead out a team that features two international debutants, prop Alasdair Dickinson and flanker John Barclay.
Following his absence with a leg injury, Chris Cusiter returns at scrum-half in place of Mike Blair, who is dropped from the matchday 22.
And despite the raft of changes, Hadden has reacted angrily to suggestions he is resting his top players against New Zealand – with the expectation they will lose – and hoping to keep his team fresh to face Italy next weekend in their final pool A match.
"I utterly reject the notion that this is a second-string, weakened or reserve Scotland team," he said.
"It contains the best place-kicker in world rugby, two British Lions, one of whom is Scotland's most-capped player, two of our most-respected and exciting backs; arguably the player who made the biggest impact in the 2006 Autumn Tests and other players who have beaten South Africa, France, England, Ireland and Wales in the international arena, combined with some fresh young talent.
"We have a squad of 30 highly professional, dedicated quality players and we compete in this tournament as a squad. Our mission has always been to qualify from the group stages and press on from there."
Full Scotland XV to face New Zealand:
15 Hugo Southwell (Edinburgh)
14 Nikki Walker (Ospreys)
13 Marcus Di Rollo (Toulouse)
12 Andrew Henderson (Glasgow Warriors)
11 Simon Webster (Edinburgh)
10 Chris Paterson (Gloucester)
9 Chris Cusiter (Perpignan);
1 Alasdair Dickinson (Gloucester)
2 Scott Lawson (Sale Sharks)
3 Craig Smith (Edinburgh)
4 Scott MacLeod (Llanelli Scarlets)
5 Scott Murray (unattached, captain)
6 Kelly Brown (Glasgow Warriors)
7 John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors)
8 Dave Callam (Edinburgh)
Replacements:
Fergus Thomson (Glasgow Warriors), Gavin Kerr (Edinburgh), James Hamilton (Leicester), Allister Hogg (Edinburgh), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors), Rob Dewey (Ulster).