Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend believes his side will benefit from renewed edge and motivation after recalling British and Irish Lions backs Duhan van der Merwe and Blair Kinghorn for Saturday’s Six Nations meeting with Wales.
Both players return to the starting lineup after sitting out Scotland’s opening two Championship matches against Italy and England. Their omission followed a mixed autumn campaign, with Townsend opting to freshen up his back three in search of greater composure and form.
Alongside fellow Lion Darcy Graham, van der Merwe and Kinghorn had been near-automatic selections in recent seasons. Their absence in Rome marked the first time since 2019 that Scotland began a Six Nations fixture without at least one of the trio.
The changes initially failed to deliver, as Scotland slipped to an 18–15 defeat against Italy. However, the new-look backline responded impressively a week later, playing a key role in the emphatic 31–20 victory over England at Murrayfield. Encouraged by that response, Townsend has now turned back to proven combinations following a training camp in Spain.
Graham remains among the replacements after appearing from the bench in both previous matches. He sits second on Scotland’s all-time try-scoring list, one behind van der Merwe’s 35, and continues to offer impact late in games.
Scotland head to Cardiff aiming for a fourth consecutive win over Wales, who are enduring a difficult run in the Championship. The Welsh have not won a Six Nations match anywhere in two years and face a short six-day turnaround after last weekend’s defeat to France, where defensive frailties were exposed by a high missed-tackle count.
Townsend expects those circumstances to create opportunities out wide.
“Blair was back playing on Sunday night for Toulouse, so it’s good to have that outlet when you’ve not been selected,” he said at Thursday’s squad announcement. “He’s recovered quickly.
“Duhan’s trained really well and stayed fully engaged with the squad. There’ll be a freshness about both of them coming back in, and a huge determination to play well.
“For players who’ve been in the group for a few years, missing out is never easy. They understood why we made different selections early on, and now they’ve earned another chance to represent their country.”
History suggests Scotland’s recalled backs could make a decisive impact. Graham has scored four tries against Wales, van der Merwe crossed twice on the last visit to Cardiff in 2024, and Kinghorn has three tries against the Welsh — including two in last year’s 35–29 win at Murrayfield.
Scotland: Blair Kinghorn, Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (captain), Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell, Ben White; Nathan McBeth, Dave Cherry, Zander Fagerson, Max Williamson, Scott Cummings, Gregor Brown, Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson Replacements: George Turner, Pierre Schoeman, Elliot Millar Mills, Grant Gilchrist, Josh Bayliss, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Darcy Graham
English