ALL Black captain Kieran Read has been passed fit to play, but his opposite number Ryan Wilson was something of a shock omission from the Scotland line-up for tomorrow’s Test at Murrayfield.
The extent of the Glasgow Warriors No 8’s shoulder problem had been kept quiet and it is not thought to be problematic in the longer term with head coach Gregor Townsend expressing the hope that he will be fit to meet Australia next week, but his absence means that Edinburgh’s Cornell du Preez will make his first start at Murrayfield.
That is one of two changes to Scotland’s starting XV following their 44-38 defeat of Samoa last weekend, with Willem Nel having been ruled out with a broken arm, making way for Wilson’s Glasgow team-mate Zander Fagerson and Townsend expressed full confidence in both of those stepping up, in particular in their capacity to take the game to the opposition.
“It is an opportunity for two guys who have been in form. It was great to see Cornell play so well when he came off the bench. His last three games for Edinburgh have been outstanding. We need him to be carry ball, defend well, we need him to make the right decisions in attack too,” said their coach.
“Zander has a lot of work to do outside the ball carrying. He is an excellent defender. His performance in Sydney against Australia when he got off the line defence was very good.
“We will need the scrum side of it to function well (but) if he can carry the ball, six to ten times, then that is a good thing. It means we are retaining ball if our tighthead props are getting so many carries. He is a tough man to stop and should give us go forward.”
Townsend’s All Black counterpart Steve Hansen meanwhile clarified his previous description of his captain’s injury when he had suggested that Read was struggling with a groin injury.
“He’s been sore so we just wanted to see how he was and he’s come through training today good. He hasn’t got a groin strain. I got that wrong, it’s a hip flexor, so it’s around the right region, just on the outside, not the inside,” he said, with a wry laugh, before adding more seriously: “We wouldn’t be playing him if we weren’t confident.”
With Hansen admitting to renewed respect for Scotland in picking his strongest available team, the only change to the All Black line-up from the side that beat France 38-18 in last week’s Test in the Stade de France is also enforced with Codie Taylor coming in at hooker for the injured Dane Coles.
Taylor is the most experienced member of the All Black front-row having played 26 Tests, two more than the entire Scottish unit.
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