WE’LL BE READY NO MATTER WHAT
Townsend: Scots are keen to play but no surprise if Wales game’s KO’d SIX NATIONS COUNTDOWN THE TEAM
BY DAVID KELSO GREGOR TOWNSEND is braced for Scotland’s final Six Nations clash in Cardiff to become a victim of the coronavirus clampdown.
Toony’s troops are due to square up to Wales tomorrow but the coach reckons it will be no shock if the plug is pulled at the last minute.
As he revealed three changes to his line-up he said: “We’re at the behest of the policy makers.
“And so far things have been put in place to let the game go ahead. We have followed all procedures and protocols regarding contact and washing hands.
“We saw last weekend what a fantastic spectacle the tournament is. And we hope we get to play this weekend. But we also understand if that’s not the case it’s for serious reasons.
“I do understand that things move fast. And everyone involved in sport will know if it’s time to either not play the game or stage it behind closed doors.
“Up until then, as a coach and as players, you’ve got to prepare to play a massive match.”
Townsend insisted his squad have been preparing in the normal fashion. He said: “We’ve been getting updates pretty regularly on the situation.
“We played in Italy before the outbreak really set hold and games started getting called off there. Since then it was the build-up to the France game and what as an organisation we had to do to put on that fixture.
“I’m sure the same is happening in Wales just now.”
When asked to give his view on the possibility of a match with no fans in the stadium Toony said: “I think my opinion is irrelevant on that.
“It’s whether the Welsh Rugby Union decide that’s the way they want to go.
“We’ll just prepare as if we’re playing it in front of a full house in a very difficult and iconic venue. If anything changes we’ll have to adapt.”
Scotland will be without breakaway Nick Haining who has been battling to shake off a fever – not coronavirus, Townsend stressed.
He said: “Nick Haining was struggling after the France match and given the six-day turnaround we felt it was better to go with Magnus Bradbury and Matt Fagerson on the bench.
“They are 100 per cent fit and fresh. It’s tough on Nick because he was doing really well in this tournament and added real depth to our back row.”
Stuart McInally starts at hooker in a rotational switch with Fraser Brown and Sam Skinner gets the nod in the second row ahead of Scott Cummings.
S Hogg (Exeter, capt) S Maitland (Saracens) C Harris (Gloucester) S Johnson (Glasgow) B Kinghorn (Edinburgh) A Hastings (Glasgow) A Price (Glasgow) R Sutherland (Edinburgh) S McInally (Edinburgh) Z Fagerson (Glasgow) S Skinner (Exeter) G Gilchrist (Edinburgh) J Ritchie (Edinburgh) H Watson (Edinburgh) M Bradbury (Edinburgh) Subs: F Brown (Glasgow), A Dell (London Irish), W Nel (Edinburgh), M Fagerson, G Horne, S Cummings (all Glasgow) D Weir (Worcester), K Steyn (Glasgow).
Townsend said: “We have a really good situation at lock – five have started for us in the championship.
“We felt we got a really good response from Grant Gilchrist last week.
“We also know how well Sam has played for us when he’s been fully fit.
“Scott has been excellent and we think that off the bench he can make a really big impact so we’re giving Sam and Grant the starts.”