THREE CHANGES AS SCOTS SEEK HISTORIC WIN
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Head coach Andy Robinson has made three changes to the Scotland team for Saturday’s final Test of their summer tour of the South Pacific, against Samoa in Apia.
No 8 Richie Vernon returns to the Scotland starting line-up for the first time since the Rugby World Cup pool match against England last year replacing John Barclay who has returned home ahead of his wedding.  Sean Lamont’s physicality has won him the nod over Max Evans on the wing, while Chris Cusiter, who has made an explosive contribution off the bench in his last two matches, will start instead of Mike Blair at scrum-half. Should Scotland win the match it will be the first time that they have won all three Tests on a tour of the southern hemisphere.
 

“That’s something we are striving for,” Robinson acknowledged. “It’s our next Test match. We have to focus on winning each Test and we go into Saturday with confidence that we can take on a strong Samoan side.”
Samoa arrived home yesterday from Japan where they collected the Pacific Nations Cup, sealed with a 27-26 victory against the hosts in Tokyo on Sunday.  Robinson is impressed by their ball-carriers and believes they have the capacity to mix power with flair.
“You just have to look at what happened two years ago when we were at home.  On the back of beating South Africa and in conditions that were utterly alien for the Samoans (snow and freezing temperatures) we were drawing 16 all with one minute to go at Pittodrie and we were lucky enough to get a penalty to win the game,” he recalled.

Lamont, who will return for his 68th cap, has reason to remember games against Samoa.  Back in Wellington in 2004, he won his first cap against the Pacific islanders and then the game in Aberdeen in 2010 was his 50th cap.
“I quite enjoy playing against island teams.  I like the big hitters, they are very physical. It’s great to test yourself in that sort of sense,” he said.

The bench will be confirmed later this week.  Meanwhile, South African referee Jaco Peyper will control his third successive Scotland match having been called up by the IRB when the original referee Chris Pollock (New Zealand) withdrew on account of injury.
Supporters at home will get the chance to watch another Pacific Island nation, Tonga, when international rugby returns to Pittodrie Stadium as part of the EMC Tests.   Tickets for the games against New Zealand and South Africa at Murrayfield and Tonga in Aberdeen on 11, 17 and 24 November respectively, go on sale on Wednesday 27 June at 10am via our website – www.scottishrugby.org; via the 24 hour credit card hotline 0844 335 3933, or in person from the Scottish Rugby Ticket Centre at Murrayfield Stadium, which is open during office hours.

Scotland team (sponsor RBS) to play Samoa at Apia Park on Saturday 23 June, kick-off 3.30pm local time (3.30am BST)
15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) 6 caps, 1 try, 5 points
14 Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors) 67 caps, 8 tries, 40 points
13 Nick De Luca (Edinburgh Rugby) 35 caps, 1 try, 5 points
12 Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby) 3 caps
11 Tim Visser (Edinburgh Rugby) 1 cap, 2 tries, 10 points
10 Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby) 9 caps, 2 tries, 6 conversions, 14 penalties, 64 points
9 Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors) 61 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
1 Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors) 2 caps
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) 60 caps, 2 tries, 10 points CAPTAIN
3 Euan Murray (Newcastle Falcons) 46 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
4 Richie Gray (Sale Sharks) 23 caps, 1 try, 5 points
5 Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors) 43 caps, 1 try, 5 points
6 Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan) 27 caps, 1 try, 5 points
7 Ross Rennie (Edinburgh Rugby) 18 caps
8 Richie Vernon (Sale Sharks) 19 caps
Substitutes to be confirmed later this week
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa).  Assistant referees: Ian Smith and Andrew Lees (both Australia)
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This article was posted on 19-Jun-2012, 17:53 by Hugh Barrow.