Scotland host Fiji after thrilling defeat to South Africa
Scotland will face Fiji on Saturday following a dramatic loss to South Africa in Pretoria the previous weekend.
After South Africa's victory over Scotland in Pretoria, head coach Rassie Erasmus, in a lighthearted mood, praised the visiting team extensively. He highlighted Scotland's significant wins this year against Argentina, France, and England, and ranked them as the third-best team globally.
While the compliments were generous, Scotland ultimately lost the match. As Scotland's forwards coach John Dalziel stated on Tuesday, such praise holds little value unless accompanied by the breakthrough wins the team now urgently seeks.
"We're not that type of team anymore,"
said Dalziel ahead of Scotland's final game in their summer programme against Fiji at Murrayfield on Saturday.
He anticipates a strong "backlash" from Fiji after their heavy defeat by England last weekend.
When asked if the accolades regarding his team's style of play mattered given the loss, Dalziel responded:
"We're very clear on who we are and what we are. It's pretty clear when you look through it, we did enough to get 11 entries into the [South Africa] red zone and it's about taking those moments.
The good thing is we're creating opportunities. We just need to be more clinical.
Some of the little errors we've seen at the weekend are probably not recurring errors, they're just moments that haven't been there before - a skill error. We just ruined a couple of moments and in any Test match now that's the difference."
Scotland's performance: scintillating yet flawed
Scotland's entertaining display was both brilliant and error-prone in their 10-try thriller against South Africa.
Are Scotland closing the gap on the elite?
Dalziel, whose forwards impressed powerfully in Pretoria, believes Scotland is narrowing the gap with the top teams.
"We're getting closer,"
he said. "We're learning from these teams because we're playing them more. We're on the right trajectory.
It's not just that we've had a good performance, we're actually really disappointed that we haven't had the win and the language has changed massively around that.
It's a game we expected to win. We're beyond trying to be performers now and giving ourselves a pat on the back. We want to win these games. We've still got that last bit of growing to do."
Following the highs of their opening round victory in Cordoba and the disappointment in Pretoria, Scotland will conclude their first round of the new Nations Championship against Fiji before an anticipated crowd of around 50,000.
For head coach Gregor Townsend, the mention of Fiji recalls difficult memories — a tough loss in only his third Test as Scotland coach and another defeat last summer in Suva.
The defining memories from those encounters are Fiji's power, pace, and scoring ability. Fiji remains one of rugby's most unpredictable teams.
At the 2023 World Cup, Fiji defeated Australia and nearly upset Wales, while losing narrowly to Portugal and Georgia. In the quarter-final, they challenged England fiercely, ultimately losing by six points.
Fiji is exceptionally formidable on rare occasions when opponents travel to their home turf — a rarity — but can be inconsistent and undisciplined when playing away.
England scored 73 points against them last weekend, and Wales beat them by 15 points the previous weekend. In their last three visits to Edinburgh, Scotland has defeated Fiji by margins of 40, 16, and 37 points respectively.
Past experience urges caution for Townsend
Townsend will be without Rory Darge and Kyle Steyn due to injury, allowing them to rest after what has felt like two seasons combined.
The coach has promised changes but will approach Fiji cautiously based on past experiences.
Given Scotland's squad depth, these changes carry minimal risk, as Townsend is unlikely to field inexperienced players.
For example, the return of Scotland's most prolific wing pairing in terms of tries is possible.
Once considered automatic starters, Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham now play second fiddle to Kyle Rowe and Kyle Steyn.
Van der Merwe has struggled with injuries and form, marking a significant shift in team dynamics.
Gregor Hiddleston, who was dynamic off the bench against the Springboks, is expected to start. Max Williamson, who impressed during his appearance in Pretoria, may also feature.
Williamson's breakthrough at this level came against South Africa at Murrayfield two years ago, and Saturday's match may be seen as his comeback after a relatively quiet season.
While Townsend will miss Darge, he has other options such as Liam McConnell at number six and Freddy Douglas at seven, both likely to be included in the matchday 23. Scotland's lineup against Fiji will differ but should remain strong.
Dalziel emphasizes respect for Fiji's capabilities.
"I think we've all seen Fiji over the last couple of years as a team that got very far in the last World Cup and that have beaten us,"
he said.
"They beat us over in Fiji last year, by a decent margin as well. We had a few players away [with the Lions] but we know their quality.
They'll be disappointed that their game didn't click last week against England, but we haven't seen many performances like that from them, so we're fully ready for a backlash."
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