The quotes

Head Coach Gregor Townsend said: “(Washington) is a great city to experience. It’s warm!

“We’ve been delighted with the intensity the players have brought in training. It’s a new team, they’re fresh and they’ll be ready to go.

“We know it’ll be a challenge this week with our opposition, a highly motivated opposition, but also with dealing with the weather conditions.”

The teams

The previous meetings

• USA 30-29 Scotland – BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, 16 June 2018
• Scotland 39-16 USA – Elland Road, Leeds, 27 September 2015
• USA 6-24 Scotland – BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, 8 June 2014
• Scotland 39-15 USA – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, 20 October 2003
• USA 23-65 Scotland – Boxer Stadium, San Francisco, 22 June 2002
• Scotland 53-6 USA – Scottish Gas Murrayfield, 4 November 2000

The stats

• Scotland defeated Canada by a margin of 61 points last week (73-12), their largest ever men’s Test victory against North American competition and the first time they have ever won a Test by 50+ points away from home, excluding neutral venues.
• Scotland have the highest tackle success rate of any team in Tier 1 Test rugby over the last 12 months (89.4%), while only New Zealand (27%) have evaded a higher share of the tackles they’ve faced over the last year than Scotland (25%).
• Among the 182 players to have played 400+ minutes of Tier 1 Test rugby over the last 12 months, Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe is one of just three to have beaten 5+ defenders per 80 minutes (5.8), alongside Mark Tele’a (9.4) and Damian Penaud (5.5).