Scotland have made seven changes in their starting team for Saturday’s vital Rugby World Cup Pool B match against England in Auckland.

Head coach Andy Robinson said: “The stage is set for what I am sure will be an occasion worthy of everything this fixture means to both countries and their supporters.  The atmosphere in Wellington last weekend was exceptional but I believe at a sell-out Eden Park on Saturday it will be even better."
 The match at Eden Park will be the 129th occasion the countries have met stretching back 140 years to the very first rugby international played at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh in 1871. History is thus made this weekend as it will be the first time the auld enemy has been faced on neutral soil.
Scotland were victorious when the first encounter took place; they know they have to win this weekend by eight points and deprive England of a bonus point to give themselves the best chance of qualifying for next month’s knockout stages.
Head coach Andy Robinson said: “The stage is set for what I am sure will be an occasion worthy of everything this fixture means to both countries and their supporters.  The atmosphere in Wellington last weekend was exceptional but I believe at a sell-out Eden Park on Saturday it will be even better.
“What this weekend is about once again though is doing everything we can to win a Test match and qualify for the knockout matches.”
The changes rung by Robinson following the agonising 12-13 setback to Argentina last weekend in Wellington see Joe Ansbro – who scored a try in Scotland’s opening Pool B match against Romania earlier this month and also crossed the whitewash to register the decisive score in the victory over Ireland in the EMC Test last month – replace Nick De Luca at outside centre.
Sean Lamont moves from the wing to inside centre instead of Graeme Morrison with Simon Danielli, scorer of a second-half try brace against Romania, chosen on the wing.  Mike Blair is selected at scrum-half to win his 75th cap, winning that berth from Rory Lawson.
In the pack, Euan Murray is reintroduced at tight-head for Geoff Cross, captain Al Kellock returns in the second-row for Jim Hamilton and Richie Vernon is at No 8 for the injured Kelly Brown.
Brown suffered concussion in the closing stages of the game against the Pumas.
Scotland team doctor James Robson said today: “Happily Kelly has made a very quick recovery from the initial event but we recognise it was a concussion episode and therefore we have been treating him according to the IRB protocol.
“Under these guidelines Kelly is ineligible for selection for this weekend’s game against England.”
Robson explained that the protocol involves a graduated return to play moving from full recovery without any symptoms of concussion through to resuming contact training.
“Under the guidelines you can return to play one week later but given this is a six-day turnaround Kelly cannot play within that timescale.”
Andy Robinson added: “I wish to congratulate Chris Paterson who sets a new landmark on Saturday, which will be his 15th Rugby World Cup cap for Scotland – another record (surpassing the previous top mark held by Doddie Weir) in his distinguished career.”
Scotland team to play England at Eden Park, Auckland in Rugby World Cup Pool B on Saturday 1 October,
kick-off 8.30pm NZ time
15 Chris Paterson (Edinburgh) 108 caps, 22 tries, 90 conversions, 168 penalties, 3 drop-goals, 803 points
14 Max Evans (Castres) 23 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
13 Joe Ansbro (London Irish) 8 caps, 2 tries 10 points
12 Sean Lamont (Scarlets) 59 caps, 8 tries, 40 points
11 Simon Danielli (Ulster) 31 caps, 8 tries, 40 points
10 Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors) 10 caps, 2 conversions, 2 penalties, 2 drop-goals, 16 points
9 Mike Blair (Edinburgh) VICE CAPTAIN 74 caps, 7 tries, 35 points
1 Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh) 59 caps
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh) 52 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
3 Euan Murray (Newcastle Falcons) 40 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
4 Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 15 caps
5 Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors) CAPTAIN 35 caps, 1 try, 5 points
6 Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester) 22 caps, 1 try, 5 points
7 John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors) 31 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
8 Richie Vernon (Sale Sharks) 14 caps
Substitutes
16 Scott Lawson (Gloucester) 29 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
17 Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks) 23 caps, 1 try, 5 points
18 Nathan Hines (Clermont Auvergne) 76 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
19 Ross Rennie (Edinburgh) 10 caps
20 Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors) 54 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
21 Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues) 65 caps, 4 tries, 15 conversions,52 penalties, 16 drop-goals, 254 points
22 Nick De Luca (Edinburgh) 28 caps, 1 try, 5 points
 

This article was posted on 28-Sep-2011, 20:38 by Hugh Barrow.