Why Gregor Townsend considered a Rassie-like 7-1 split

The return of mercurial flyhalf Finn Russell headlines Gregor Townsend’s Scotland selection for the Nations Championship face-off with South Africa at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Scottish team shows three changes to their starting line-up, as they prepare for a first clash with the back-to-back World Cup champions on South African soil since 2014.

Apart from Russell’s return at flyhalf, after his recovery from a calf injury, Zander Fagerson and Gregor Brown are promoted to the starting XV after coming off the bench in last weekend’s victory over Argentina.

Fagerson lines up at tighthead after a tour-ending injury to Elliot Millar Mills in Cordoba last Saturday, joining Pierre Schoeman – a try-scorer on his 50th cap for Scotland last time out – and Ewan Ashman in the front row.

However, it is on the bench where the wily Scotland coach showed shades of Rassie Erasmus’ inventive selections.

Townsend’s forwards-heaving 6-2 bench strategy mirrors and matches up against Erasmus’ own 6-2 bench split, presenting a tactical ‘fight fire with fire’ showdown in Pretoria.

The ‘Tartan squad’ must neutralise the second-half physical onslaught from Erasmus’s heavily altered, power-based squad.

Townsend did not name a specialised scrumhalf on the bench, utilising starting wing Jamie Dobie as backup, and opted for Tom Jordan and Stafford McDowall to cover the backline.

The forward replacements include Gregor Hiddleston, Rory Sutherland (who is in line to earn his 50th cap), Will Hurd, Alex Samuel, Josh Bayliss, and Magnus Bradbury.

The 53-year-old coach admitted in pre-match interviews that he toyed with the idea of going even further with a radical 7-1 bench, ultimately settling on the 6-2 configuration to preserve optimal balance.

Scotland’s replacement props of Rory Sutherland and Will Hurd, along with hooker Gregor Hiddleston, will lock horns with the Bok reserve front row of Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ntuthuko Mchunu, and Zach Porthen.

In the back row, Scotland’s Josh Bayliss and Magnus Bradbury are a direct response to South Africa’s formidable flank replacements, Ben-Jason Dixon, Vincent Tshituka, and Elrigh Louw.

(WATCH as Scotland coach Gregor Townsend explains how close he came to a 7-1 bench split for the face-off against South Africa…..)

Townsend admitted the selection was premeditated, with the challenging three-Test Southern Hemisphere trip.

They started with a bruising 47-38 win over Argentina in the opening round of the Nations Championship.

After tackling the Boks on Saturday, they travel back home to face Fiji at Murrayfield.

However, this week his bench, with the Rassie Erasmus-like 6-2 forwards heavy replacements, will ‘have a big role to play’ at Loftus.

“We feel that the bench is going to bring energy,” the coach said.

“It’s two physical backline players, but it’s more about the six forwards.

“We know that the forwards are going to be the ones that are really going to be tested this week against the best pack in world rugby.

“I’m a bit disappointed in myself that we didn’t go 7-1,” Townsend quipped, adding: “That was discussed a lot during the week.”

The coach said playing South Africa is the ideal game to load the bench with forwards.

“When else are you going to have a 7-1 when you take on the Boks?

“They went 7-1 against us.

“I think we’d only be able to go 7-1 with Josh involved. He has done that role this year for Bath and he’s comfortable. He’ll be our third back this week if we have to go to three changes in the backline.

“We felt the right mix was the 6-2. If we have to put an extra forward on for whatever reason, Stafford has run that role for Glasgow at times.”

On the return of Russell and Brown, Townsend said both selections were straightforward calls: “With Finn available, obviously he’s someone who’s played a lot of games for us, and we’d want him back in the team to face such a quality opponent.

“Likewise with Gregor Brown, I think we’ve seen him at training, how well he’s been performing, and we feel it’s right that he’s back in the team.”

@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com