Scotland v Tonga: Four uncapped players to start, with four more on bench

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A total of eight players are set to make their Scotland debuts against TongaA total of eight players are set to make their Scotland debuts against Tonga
Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 30 October Time: 14:30 BST
Coverage: Follow live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app

Four uncapped players will start Scotland's Autumn Nations Series opener against Tonga on Saturday.

Glasgow Warriors pair Rufus McLean and Sione Tuipulotu will start at wing and centre, while Edinburgh's Jamie Hodgson will play in the second row with club-mate Pierre Schoeman at loose-head.

Another four are in line to make their debuts from the bench.

Blair Kinghorn will play at 10 in a new half-back combination with Ali Price, who is co-captain with Jamie Ritchie.

Edinburgh lock Marshall Sykes and back-row Luke Crosbie and Glasgow half-back partners Jamie Dobie and Ross Thompson are the uncapped players on the bench.

"Saturday will also be a huge occasion for a number of players in our squad who have the honour of playing for their country for the first time," coach Gregor Townsend said.

"Tonga will be very dangerous opponents for us, as they pose a ferocious physical challenge in attack and defence.

"They performed very well on their last visit to Scotland and I'm sure they will be highly motivated to take the game to us once again."

Scotland team:

Graham; Steyn; Tuipulotu, Johnson; McLean; Kinghorn, Price (co-capt); Schoeman, Turner, Z Fagerson; Hodgson, Harley; Ritchie (co-capt), Watson, M Fagerson.

Replacements: McInally, Bhatti, Kebble, Sykes, Crosbie, Haining, Dobie, Thompson

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