The Scotland team to be announced this afternoon is set to have at least two changes in the back division after it was revealed that inside centre Cameron Redpath has been released to play for Bath against Leicester tonight. Stand-off Adam Hastings, who began last week’s match against Fiji alongside Redpath, has already been ruled out by injury.
Redpath played all 80 minutes in the No.12 jersey in the 28-12 win over the Fijians. He is on the bench for the West Country club in the English Premiership match, alongside forward Josh Bayliss, who is in the wider Scotland squad but has yet to figure in the Autumn Nations Series.
Glasgow centre Sione Tuipulotu – who played at inside centre against Australia then came off the bench at outside centre last week – appears to be the favourite to take over from Redpath at 12 for the New Zealand game. He combines defensive solidity with the ability to carry hard, and should form a good partnership with outside centre Chris Harris, who is set to continue at 13.
The remaining issue then will be whether Finn Russell or Blair Kinghorn should start at 10. Gregor Townsend has shown a lot of loyalty to Kinghorn, who started five Tests in a row
before last week and only moved from full-back to stand-off at the behest of the head coach and his Edinburgh counterpart Mike Blair. If Russell is named on the bench he could either come on instead of Kinghorn or – an idea that has found favour with Scotland attack coach AB Zondagh – come on at 12 to partner the starting stand-off.
In the pack, brothers Richie and Jonny Gray could start together in the second row after Jonny came off the bench last week in place of Grant Gilchrist. And Jack Dempsey, who has won two caps off the bench, may be preferred to Matt Fagerson at No.8.
