Stafford McDowall to captain Scotland A against Chile this weekend

EDINBURGH , SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 15: Stafford McDowall during a Scotland Team Run at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, on November 15, 2024, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Try scorer McDowall will be joined by seven other players who featured in the victory in front of more than 60,000 at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.

The match this weekend will be part of a double header ahead of Scotland’s match against Australia on the Sunday.

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Scotland A will be in action for the first time since 2022, when they took on Chile in Santiago, running out 45-5 winners on that occasion.

After scoring his first try Scotland try on Saturday, Jamie Bhatti is selected at loosehead prop, and is joined in the front row by Glasgow Warriors hooker Gregor Hiddleston along with Edinburgh Rugby tighthead D’Arcy Rae who made his second appearance for Scotland, against Fiji, at the start of November.

Marshall Sykes starts in the second row, alongside Ewan Johnson who made his Scottish Gas Murrayfield debut off the bench against Portugal. The towering second row is selected off the back of impressive performances on the Skyscanner Americas Tour.

Two of the debutants from Saturday’s win, Ben Muncaster and Freddy Douglas, start at number eight and openside flanker respectively, making up the back row with Tom Dodd. Former Scotland U20 back-row Dodd joined Edinburgh Rugby ahead of the 2023/24 season on a two-year deal and has been named vice-captain.

Scrum-half and vice-captain Jamie Dobie will be partnered by stand-off Ross Thompson in the half backs, and in the centres McDowall takes the inside while Mosese Tuipulotu will start at outside centre. Brother of Scotland captain Sione, Mosese will make his first appearance in the dark blue of Scotland.

Matt Currie, another to make their Scotland home debut on Saturday, starts on the right wing, while Ross McCann is on the left wing. The team is completed by Arron Reed, who has four tries to his name in just three Scotland appearances, at full back.

In the replacements, Edinburgh Rugby prospects Harri Morris and Mikey Jones are primed to come on at hooker and prop, with Glasgow Warriors’ Fin Richardson is the second prop replacement. Warriors second row Jare Oguntibeju and Edinburgh flanker Liam McConnell, who recently captained Scotland U20 to World Rugby U20 Trophy victory, are the others set to come on in the forwards.

The replacement backs are made up of Glasgow scrum-half Ben Afshar, who travelled on the Skyscanner Americas Tour as a development player, stand-off Ben Healy and former Scotland U18 captain Jack Brown, who plies his trade at full-back.

Chile are expected to bring a side similar to the one Scotland defeated in July on the Skyscanner Americas Tour.

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Scotland A team to face Chile at Hive Stadium on Saturday (kick off 6pm)

15. Arron Reed (Sale Sharks)
14. Matt Currie (Edinburgh Rugby)
13. Mosese Tuipulotu (Edinburgh Rugby)
12. Stafford McDowall CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors)
11. Ross McCann (Edinburgh Rugby)

10. Ross Thompson (Edinburgh Rugby)
9. Jamie Dobie VICE-CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors

1. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors)
2. Gregor Hiddleston (Glasgow Warriors)
3. D’Arcy Rae (Edinburgh Rugby)
4. Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh Rugby)
5. Ewan Johnson (Oyannax)
6.Tom Dodd VICE-CAPTAIN (Edinburgh Rugby)
7. Freddy Douglas (Edinburgh Rugby)
8. Ben Muncaster (Edinburgh Rugby)

Replacements

16. Harri Morris (Edinburgh Rugby)
17. Mikey Jones (Edinburgh Rugby)
18. Fin Richardson (Glasgow Warriors)
19. Jare Oguntibeju (Glasgow Warriors)
20. Liam McConnell (Edinburgh Rugby)
21. Ben Afshar (Glasgow Warriors)
22. Ben Healy (Edinburgh Rugby)
23. Jack Brown (Edinburgh Rugby)