Rugby Union - Premiership - Harlequins vs Saracens - Twickenham Stoop, London, Britain - October 13, 2024 Saracens' Fergus Burke in action with Harlequins' Lennox Anyanwu Action Images/Andrew Couldridge
(Reuters) -Saracens flyhalf Fergus Burke will win his first Scotland cap on Saturday after being named in the starting line-up to face Fiji in Suva, while coach Gregor Townsend is also able to welcome back two stalwarts.
Matt Fagerson, selected at No. 8, will make his first appearance since April after recovering from an ankle injury while Kyle Steyn is back on the wing for the first time in almost a year after a series of injury setbacks.
The team have been given a major overhaul from the side that posted an impressive win over the Maori All Blacks in Whangarei last Saturday. Burke came on as a replacement in that game, but no caps were awarded.
The former New Zealand under-20 international qualifies for Scotland through his grandfather.
Rory Darge will captain the side for the first time on the tour, with Steyn and Grant Gilchrist named as vice-captains, it was announced on Thursday.
In the midfield, Cameron Redpath will play his first game since winning the English Premiership with Bath and forms a new-look centre partnership with Tom Jordan.
Jamie Dobie is named at scrumhalf to link up with Burke on debut.
The test is the second game on Scotland’s Pacific tour. Next weekend, they will take on Samoa in Auckland.
Scotland are missing eight players who are in Australia with the British & Irish Lions.
Team: 15-Kyle Rowe, 14-Darcy Graham, 13-Cameron Redpath, 12-Tom Jordan, 11-Kyle Steyn, 10-Fergus Burke, 9-Jamie Dobie, 8-Matt Fagerson, 7-Rory Darge (captain), 6-Jamie Ritchie, 5-Grant Gilchrist, 4-Marshall Sykes, 3-Elliot Millar Mills, 2-Ewan Ashman, 1-Rory Sutherland
Replacements: 16-George Turner, 17-Alec Hepburn, 18-Will Hurd, 19-Max Williamson, 20-Josh Bayliss, 21-George Horne, 22-Adam Hastings, 23-Ollie Smith.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
