SOMETHING old; something new, when Gregor [Townsend] named his team in blue. Maybe not the original rhyme, but accurate. Ross Ford is to win his 110th and record-breaking cap – the old – Nick Grigg, his first – the new. The team: 12 changes from the side that beat Australia.
While that all looks as though there is a hint of revolution in the Fijian air – the home side make seven changes from the side that beat Italy last week – the main focus was on the point of stability at the centre of it all, Ford, the hooker, who won his first cap all of 13 years ago and has no intention of giving up any time soon.
"Ross loves everything about being a rugby player. He puts in the work in the gym and the training field, which is the reason why he is still playing really well after 109 caps," was Townsend's tribute.
"We've seen it on this tour. He has driven a lot of the standards. His last start was pretty good – two tries – and it is a credit to his dedication that he wants to keep improving. He wants to play for another few years and judging by the way he's training and playing at the moment that could definitely happen."
At the opposite end of the experience spectrum, you have Nick Grigg, the centre who was the players' player of the season at Glasgow Warriors. "He is excellent in both attack and defence. He ade lots of line breaks and tackle breaks and was also one of our best defenders," Townsend said.
With so many changes, it is much quicker to list the three who hold onto their places, led by captain John Barclay who keeps his spot as Townsend reverts to the back row that would have played in Singapore if John Hardie, who is one of the changes, had not gone down with back spasms.
Jonny Gray, who was rested for the first game, is the second to hold onto his place while Duncan Taylor joins Barclay as the only player to start all three tour matches, in his case his job in the centre is partly to look after Grigg.
Henry Pyrgos returns at scrum-half, his first start since he faced Japan this time last year and only his sixth start in the 24 caps he will have won. Ruaridh Jackson is also back, in his case for his first cap since that same game in Tokyo, though this time at full back, not fly half.
Also returning after a long absence is Alex Allan, the prop, who is getting his first start after three runs from the bench over the last two years. The rest are all players who have been getting games recently and all he bench – with Townsend trying again to manage a six forwards, two backs split – played in the win over Australia.
"the split is partly because of the competition we have in the forwards and partly because of the heat," Townsend explained. "Partly, also, because of the ability of players like Fraser Brown to cover the back row. It is something we wanted to do and we believe it will be a strength if we can bring on forwards to play high-tempo rugby in the second half.
"A win would be great. We have really enjoyed the tour, seeing three different countries, and we have two wins so far. It would be great to have an unbeaten tour. This is the last game of the season and the players will be doing all they can to make sure we finish off with a victory."
Fiji have also run the changes, the biggest surprise being that they have left out Niko Matawalu, the inspirational former Glasgow Warriors scrum half and Viliame Mata, the Edinburgh flanker. Leone Nakarawa, another former Glasgow player does start, and Townsend was keen to warn of the danger he poses.
"Scotland are a very good team and they are playing very good rugby," observed John McKee, the Fiji coach. "They had a strong Six Nations performance and I know that since Gregor Townsend took charge, they seem to have added a bit to their game, which seemed to have been more expansive in the last two outings.
"They are quite prepared to play wide to wide, so we are really going to have to be on top of our game defensively to handle that."
Fiji: K Murimurivalu; J Tuisova, A Vulivuli, J Vatubua, P Osborne; B Volavola, S Vularika; P Ravai, S Koto, K Tawake, T Cavubati, L Nakarawa, D Waqaniburotu, P Yato, A Qera (C). Replacements: T Talemaitoga, J Veitayaki, M Ducivaki, S Nabou, N Dawai, H Seniloli, J Stewart, B Masilevu
Scotland: R Jackson (Harlequins); D Hoyland (Edinburgh), N Grigg (Glasgow Warriors), D Taylor (Saracens), T Visser (Harlequins); P Horne (Glasgow Warriors), H Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors); A Allan (Glasgow Warriors), R Ford (Edinburgh), WP Nel (Edinburgh), T Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), J Gray (Glasgow Warriors, J Barclay (C) (Scarlets), J Hardie (Edinburgh), J Strauss (Glasgow Warriors). Replacements: F Brown (Glasgow Warriors), G Reid (Glasgow Warriors), Z Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), B Toolis (Edinburgh), H Watson (Edinburgh), R Wilson (Glasgow Warriors), A Price (Glasgow Warriors), G Tonks (London Irish).
Referee: P Gauzere(France)
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