Gregor Townsend selects Lions-bound duo for Scotland clash with Samoa

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend revealed Rory Sutherland and Ewan Ashman are keen to play a full part against Samoa before heading off on British and Irish Lions duty.

Townsend has selected the pair in his front row for Scotland’s final summer tour encounter in Auckland on Friday.

Darcy Graham has already linked up with the Lions and Glasgow prop Sutherland and Edinburgh hooker Ashman will join him with a view to playing in next Tuesday’s match against a First Nations & Pasifika XV.

Townsend said: “The fact we’re playing Friday night and they can get to Melbourne on Sunday, the same time as the Lions are arriving, as long as they are available to train on Monday and be available for the game on Tuesday, there won’t be any real consideration on game time.

“We hope every one of our players come through fit but Ewan and Rory were very keen to play.”

Townsend was delighted with the additional Lions recognition, which took the number of Scots selected to 12, including the injured Zander Fagerson.

“Especially for Darcy to go there now and be part of the Lions squad, building up to the first Test and then getting a really good run at potentially being involved in that midweek game,” he added.

“And the other two guys, they were buzzing when I passed on the news to them that they were going to be getting a phone call from the Lions and the players were really pleased for them as well.

“Maybe it’s not in the front of their minds because they’ve been preparing for a Test match this week but I’m sure their focus will turn to the Lions as soon as Friday night is over.”

Townsend has made five personnel changes following the 29-14 defeat by Fiji.

Gregor Brown returns from injury to start in the second row while Andy Onyeama-Christie is drafted into the back row after Jamie Ritchie dropped out with a foot injury.

Rory Hutchinson and Stafford McDowall form a new centre partnership in place of Cameron Redpath and Tom Jordan, who suffered a fractured hand against Fiji. Arron Reed replaces Graham with Kyle Steyn swapping wings.

Ben Muncaster is back from injury but has to settle for a place on the bench alongside uncapped Glasgow prop Fin Richardson.

“While there’s a lot of changes, some of them were outwith our control,” Townsend said.

“But we’ve looked to put our strongest team out. We were disappointed with the result at the weekend and we want to finish this tour with a real strong performance and finish on a high from a playing point of view because off the field it’s been excellent.

“We feel very privileged to be playing in such an iconic and historic stadium, Eden Park. It will be a great atmosphere, a noisy crowd, you’d mainly imagine supporting Samoa. It’s one of the most iconic stadiums in world rugby.

“A great opportunity for us to play a proper Test match in that stadium and finish the tour on a real high.”

Townsend earmarked two main areas of improvement.

“The contact area,” he said. “Just being more ruthless in that area, quicker in support, ball-carrying, working harder on the floor, just not allowing the opposition any opportunities to get the ball back.

“And our discipline. Discipline can be a number of things that the referee can call you up on, but not being offside, just giving them a bit of space, that would be the first one that we can fix.”