Find out who Gregor Townsend has named in the Scotland team to face the Springboks in the Autumn Nation Series

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The Scotland Autumn Internationals team to face Portugal on Saturday is unrecognisable from the one that lost to the Springboks last weekend, as head coach Gregor Townsend makes wholesale changes to his starting XV.

Full-back Tom Jordan is the only player to keep his place from last week, though Darcy Graham – who scored four tries against Fiji – is back after passing HIA protocols. Fly-half Adam Hastings also regains his place as Finn Russell is one of many regulars given a week off.

Stafford McDowall captains this young side, forming a new partnership in the centres with Rory Hutchinson. Alex Samuel and Ben Muncaster win their first caps in the second row and back row respectively, while Freddy Douglas could also make his debut from the bench – at 19, he’d be Scotland’s youngest debutant since 1963.

“It’s an opportunity for players to play for Scotland that have trained really hard over the last few weeks, but also players that we believe in,” said Townsend. “Some of them featured for us on the summer tour, others have been in very good form for their clubs, and we believe in this squad, that it can deliver a result this weekend. And it’s a chance for players that played in a very physical game [against South Africa] on Sunday, with that short turnaround, to recover and be ready for a big week next week [against Australia].”

Scotland v Portugal kicks off at 3.10pm GMT on Saturday 16 November.

Read more: How to watch the Autumn Internationals


Scotland Autumn Internationals 2024 – team v Portugal

15. Tom Jordan
14. Darcy Graham
13. Rory Hutchison
12. Stafford McDowall (captain)
11. Arron Reed
10. Adam Hastings
9. George Horne

1. Jamie Bhatti
2. Patrick Harrison
3. Will Hurd
4. Alex Craig
5. Alex Samuel
6. Luke Crosbie (vice-captain)
7. Ben Muncaster
8. Josh Bayliss

Replacements:
16. Johnny Matthews
17. Rory Sutherland
18. Elliot Millar Mills
19. Ewan Johnson
20. Freddy Douglas
21. Jamie Dobie
22. Matt Currie
23. Kyle Rowe


Scotland Autumn Internationals 2024 squad

Forwards 

Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby, 21 caps)
Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby, 9 caps)
Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors, 35 caps)
Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors, 4 caps)
Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors, 41 caps)
Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby, 12 caps)
Alex Craig (Scarlets, 5 caps)
Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors, 24 caps)
Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors, 22 caps)
Freddy Douglas (Edinburgh Rugby, 1 cap)
Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors, 49 caps)
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors, 69 caps)
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby, 74 caps)
Patrick Harrison (Edinburgh Rugby, 3 caps)
Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers, 3 caps)
Ewan Johnson (Oyonnax, 4 caps)
Johnny Matthews (Glasgow Warrirors, 3 caps)
Nathan McBeth (Glasgow Warriors, 2 caps)
Elliot Millar Mills (Northampton Saints, 7 caps)
Ben Muncaster (Edinburgh Rugby, 1 cap)
D’Arcy Rae (Edinburgh Rugby, 2 caps)
Dylan Richardson (The Sharks, 5 caps)
Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby, 52 caps)
Alex Samuel (Glasgow Warriors, 1 cap)
Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby, 36 caps)
Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors, 36 caps)
Max Williamson (Glasgow Warriors, 6 caps)

Backs 

Matt Currie (Edinburgh Rugby, 4 caps)
Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors, 9 caps)
Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby, 41 caps)
Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors, 32 caps)
George Horne (Glasgow Warriors, 33 caps)
Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints, 8 caps)
Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors, 52 caps)
Tom Jordan (Glasgow Warriors, 3 caps)
Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse, 54 caps)
Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors, 8 caps)
Harry Paterson (Edinburgh Rugby, 3 caps)
Ali Price (Edinburgh Rugby, 68 caps)
Arron Reed (Sale Sharks, 3 caps)
Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors, 9 caps)
Finn Russell (Bath Rugby, 81 caps)
Mosese Tuipulotu (Edinburgh Rugby, uncapped)
Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors, 29 caps)
Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby, 43 caps)
Ben White (Toulon, 23 caps)


Scotland Autumn Internationals 2024 fixtures

Sunday 24 November

  • Scotland v Australia
    Murrayfield, Edinburgh
    Kick-off: 1.40pm GMT / 3.40pm SAST / 12.40am AEDT (Monday) / 2.40am NZDT (Monday) / 8.40am ET / 5.40am PT

Scotland Autumn Nations Series results 2024

Saturday 2 November 2024

  • Scotland 57 v 17 Fiji
    Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Sunday 10 November 2024

  • Scotland 15 v 32 South Africa
    Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Saturday 16 November

  • Scotland 59 v 21 Portugal
    Murrayfield, Edinburgh

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