Autumn Nations Series preview: Scotland to get campaign back on track with victory over Fiji

After the disappointment of their devastating reversal at the hands of the Wallabies, Scotland will hope to get back on track against Fiji.

It is in many ways a no-win game for the Scots. Emerge victorious and they will have done what was expected of them but lose and the knives will be out for Gregor Townsend and his players.

They are a team under significant pressure, especially with Townsend preferring to leave star player Finn Russell out of the Autumn Nations Series.

Although French-based Russell was unavailable last weekend due to the match falling outside the international window, the head coach’s decision came under even more scrutiny when Blair Kinghorn missed a match-winning kick.

Interestingly, Kinghorn has been dropped to the bench for Saturday’s clash, with Gloucester’s Adam Hastings, who was also absent for the Australia encounter, coming in to the playmaker role.

Hastings needs to have a good game, for his, Townsend’s and Scotland’s sake as they will no doubt face a fired up Fiji outfit who will be looking to create a big upset.

The Flying Fijians no doubt have the individual quality in their 23 but do they have the cohesion to put the hosts under enough pressure and claim a win?

Where the game will be won

While Fiji almost certainly have more gifted outside backs than Scotland, it is the fundamentals of the game they struggle with, from set-piece to defence. Vern Cotter is an outstanding coach and he has sought to implement structures which can help them succeed at the highest level, but results have been mixed. The Flying Fijians also aren’t afforded the necessary time together to improve in comparison to the tier one nations, something that really needs to be fixed.

The Scots should therefore be too well-drilled for the visitors. They have a good scrummaging unit which will get them a consistent supply of penalties and a half-back duo who can control the game far better than their opposite numbers. If the visitors are duly forced back into their own half, their rearguard, as well as the team’s fitness, will be severely tested. Fiji’s best hope is for the home side to overplay, going too wide too early, which can lead to errors and therefore field position for the Pacific Islanders. Off turnover ball, the Fijians are very dangerous and that’s what they will be aiming for this weekend.

Last time they met

What they said

Veteran second-row Richie Gray is relishing being back in Scotland’s squad after finding himself on the outskirts of the Test scene in recent years.

“I’m delighted to be here, it’s always an honour to represent your country and be involved in these camps,” he said. “There’s been a lot of hard work gone into getting back into it.

“I’ve tried to adapt my game this season to give me a few more moments round the park, which I feel I’m doing with Glasgow. It’s just a case of trying to replicate that on the international stage. That’s the challenge going into the weekend.”

Fiji head coach Cotter revealed that they have mapped out a game-plan which the players need to follow in order to counter their opponents.

“We need to approach the game with a lot of humility. We are a tier two team playing a tier one team that had a game already in their bag,” he said.

“We are slowly getting together but we want to get learnings from this plus we have the Rugby World Cup next year so it is really important that we put ourselves up against a very good team and I’m sure from we will come away with individual and collective improvements to be made.”

Players to watch

One player who will be raring to go is Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg, who missed last week’s narrow defeat to the Wallabies as that encounter fell outside World Rugby’s official Test window. No longer shackled with captaincy responsibilities, the 30-year-old will be determined to mark his return to Scotland’s side with an excellent all-round performance. Blessed with superb attacking ability, Hogg will be expected to put his team on the front foot with some barnstorming runs and raking touch finders from the back.

With Hogg no longer captain, Jamie Ritchie has been appointed as Scotland’s new skipper. Although the Edinburgh back-row’s captaincy started with last weekend’s agonising defeat against the Wallabies, he impressed in the leadership role and was in the thick of the action on attack and defence. He will be determined to improve on that effort though and hope to guide his troops to victory in this encounter.

One Scotland player who came out of last weekend’s defeat with his reputation enhanced is Pierre Schoeman, who was one of the best players on the pitch. From the outset of that clash the 28-year-old took the fight to the Wallabies and came to the fore with a outstanding all-round performance. The Edinburgh front-row was solid in the scrums and did his bit on attack and defence, finishing with 37 metres gained and nine tackles made. Scotland supporters will be asking for more of that against Fiji.

If Fiji want to win this match, their forwards will have to be competitive and in Viliame Mata they have a potent attacking weapon, who can wreak havoc once he builds momentum. The lanky number eight is difficult to stop once he builds up a head of steam and is a great link between forwards and backs with ball in hand. If he manages to get good front foot ball, it could be a long day at the office for the Scottish defence. He is also a handy lineout option and should provide his team with some possession from the back of the set-piece.

In the backs, Frank Lomani and Vilimoni Botitu are Fiji’s starting half-backs, who will have to hit the ground running if the Pacific islanders want to cause an upset in this fixture. Lomani is a seasoned professional, who has impressed at Test level since making his debut against Samoa in 2017. Lomani is an excellent attacker who can change the course of a match with a moment of brilliance. His service to the less experienced Botitu will be crucial if the visitors want to unleash their dangerous backs. Botitu is a former Fijian Sevens player who has a high work-rate and possesses great playmaking skills. Fijian fans will be hoping those attributes will unlock the Scottish defence.

Main head-to-head

The midfield battle will be a hotly contested one and in Chris Harris of Scotland and Waisea Nayacalevu of Fiji we have two exciting outside centres who have the ability to stamp their authority on this game with their impressive skill sets. Harris will be keen to hit the ground running after missing out on Scotland’s loss to the Wallabies due to that fixture falling outside of the international window.

An outstanding defender, who excels at organising Scotland’s defence, Harris will have to be at his best in that department against Nayacalevu, who, like most Fijian backline players, has the ability to create something out of nothing with ball in hand. That sets the tone for an intriguing tussle between two players with contrasting strengths and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top in this duel.

Prediction

Fiji, of course, have the individual talent but it is the technical aspects up front which have often let them down. Much of that is down to a lack of preparation, something often beyond the team’s control, but in Cotter they do have an excellent coach who can get those structures in place. However, against a Scotland team who are battle-hardened after last weekend’s clash, we can’t see the Pacific Islanders causing an upset. Scotland by 18 points.

Previous results

2018: Scotland won 54-17 in Edinburgh
2017: Fiji won 27-22 in Suva
2012: Scotland won 37-25 in Lautoka
2009: Scotland won 23-10 in Edinburgh
2003: Scotland won 22-20 in Sydney
2002: Scotland won 33-22 in Edinburgh
1998: Fiji won 52-26 in Suva
1989: Scotland won 38-17 in Edinburgh

The teams

Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 Ali Price, 8 Matt Fagerson, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Jamie Ritchie (c), 5 Grant Gilchrist, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 George Turner, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Murphy Walker, 19 Jonny Gray, 20 Jack Dempsey, 21 Ben White, 22 Blair Kinghorn, 23 Sione Tuipulotu

Fiji: 15 Kini Murimurivalu, 14 Setareki Tuicuvu, 13 Waisea Nayacalevu (c), 12 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 11 Vinaya Habosi, 10 Vilimoni Botitu, 9 Frank Lomani, 8 Viliame Mata, 7 Levani Botia, 6 Albert Tuisue, 5 Ratu Leone Rotuisolia, 4 Temo Mayanavanua, 3 Manasa Saulo, 2 Sam Matavesi, 1 Eroni Mawi
Replacements: 16 Tevita Ikanivere, 17 Livai Natave, 18 Luke Tagi, 19 Apisalome Ratuniyarawa, 20 Kitione Kamikamica, 21 Peni Matawalu, 22 Teti Tela, 23 Sireli Maqala

Date: Saturday, November 5
Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Kick-off: 13:00 GMT
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referees: James Doleman (New Zealand), Pierre Brousset (France)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)

READ MORE: Scotland: Stuart Hogg returns at full-back while Adam Hastings handed fly-half role for Fiji Test