Scotland will be looking to bounce back from their heavy Dobbie Wier Cup defeat to Wales when they take on Fiji on Saturday the 10th of November.
A reinforced Scottish squad will be looking to put their defeat to Six Nations foes Wales behind them when they take on an improving Fijian outfit at BT Murrayfield on Saturday the 10th of November. The will be buoyed by the return of talismanic pivot Finn Russel who missed last weekend’s defeat due to club commitments.
Scotland v Fiji
Saturday 10 November
BT Murrayfield
16:30
To Win (80 Mins)
Scotland 1/10
Draw 30/1
Fiji 5/1
Handicap
Scotland (-14.5) 9/10
Fiji (+14.5) 9/10
Scotland
Gregor Townsend’s men got their November campaign underway in less than ideal fashion as they put in a limp display during last Saturday’s 31-10 defeat to rivals Wales. The result illustrated just how reliant the ‘Scots have become on fly-half Finn Russel and fullback Stuart Hogg. Without the duo the ‘Scots looked devoid of ideas on attack.
While Russel is yet to return to the squad Hogg has, with the Glasgow Warrior in line to play some part in Saturday’s Test. He may not get a start as he has just returned from injury but Hogg could still make a big impact from the bench. The duo will bring a more measured approach to the hosts game, with Laidlaw’s tactical kicking ability also likely to prove vital.
Fiji
It’s been a decent year for Fiji rugby with their domestic side, the Fijian Drua, winning the National Rugby Championship (Australia’s premier domestic rugby competition) just a few weeks ago. The achievement is a massive coup for the Islanders as it illustrates that there is still plenty of talent floating around the domestic scene.
In terms of the national team’s performances this year, the Fijians endured a hit-and-miss June as they beat Georgia (37-15) and Samoa (24-22) but went down 19-27 to Tonga during their final test of the mid-year window. It must be noted that they were missing the bulk of their European-based stars during this period.
Verdict: Scotland (-14.5) 9/10
I’m expecting a much-improved showing from the ‘Scots here. The men in Tartan have a lethal backline that could well see them past the handicap if they click.
