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| Venue: Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 19 November Kick-off: 15:15 GMT |
| Coverage: Live text commentary on BBC Sport website & app |
Finn Russell has been named in the Scotland side to face Argentina in the autumn Test at Murrayfield on Saturday.
The Racing 92 fly-half’s partner Emma is close to giving birth and the 30-year-old’s involvement was in doubt.
Jack Dempsey replaces Hamish Watson, out with concussion, and will make his first start in one of two changes from the side that lost to New Zealand.
Lock Jonny Gray fills in for brother Richie after he was banned for dangerous play against the All Blacks.
Dempsey will pack down at the base of the scrum, meaning usual number eight Matt Fagerson moves to blindside flanker and captain Jamie Ritchie across to the openside.
The former Australia back row, 28, has come off the bench in all of the Autumn Nations Series matches so far.
Russell was omitted from the original autumn Test squad but was drafted in after an injury to Adam Hastings and again starts instead of Blair Kinghorn and Ross Thompson.
His partner is due to give birth this week in Paris, but head coach Gregor Townsend has named him in the side to take on the Pumas in Scotland’s final game of the year.
“There was a period of the game where we put together some of the best rugby we’ve played over the last two years,” he said, highlighting “a lot of positives” that led to his selection decision.
Scotland have lost narrowly to Australia and New Zealand and beaten Fiji in their previous autumn Tests – and Townsend is expecting the Pumas to be another exacting challenge.
“They are a very good team, they were really good in the summer and they’ve carried that form on into the Rugby Championship and they obviously had that cracking win against England a few weeks ago,” the Scotland boss said.
“They are rightly one of the best teams in world rugby right now.”
Argentina beat Scotland in a three-Test series in the summer, claiming a 2-1 victory in Santiago Del Estero with a dramatic last-minute try, but head coach Michael Cheika does not believe it will have any bearing on Saturday’s game given the teams’ personnel has changed since then.
The Australia makes four changes from the side that lost 20-13 to Wales in Cardiff.
Captain Julian Montoya returns at hooker in place of Agustin Creevy and is joined in the front row by Eduardo Bello, who replaces Francisco Gomez Kodela.
Bautista Delguy is on the wing in place of Mateo Carreras, while centre Matias Orlando comes in for Matias Moroni, who drops to the bench.
Cheika is expecting a difficult game because he says “Scotland are always a tough test, especially at Murrayfield”.
The head coach’s schedule has been particularly busy given he has coached the Lebanon rugby league team in the World Cup while also leading Argentina in their autumn Tests.
“I’ve totally loved it – an experience I never thought I could have,” said Cheika, who played briefly with Townsend in Australia and says Scotland are a team built in their coach’s image. “It was about doing both well, not just doing both. There’s a load of new Lebanese Argentina fans.”
Teams
Scotland: Hogg; Graham, Harris, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Russell, Price; Schoeman, Brown, Z Fagerson, Gray, Gilchrist, M Fagerson, Ritchie (capt), Dempsey.
Replacements: Turner, Bhatti, Walker, Young, Christie, White, Kinghorn, Redpath.
Argentina: Mallia; Delguy, Orlando, De la Fuente, Boffelli; S Carreras, Bertranou; Gallo, Montoya (capt), Bello, Alemanno, Lavanini, Gonzalez, Kremer, Matera.
Replacements: Ruiz, Tetaz Champarro, Medrano, Paulos, Isa, Bazan Velez, Sanchez, Moroni.
