FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Six Nations Championship - Ireland v Scotland - Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland - March 16, 2024 Scotland players lined up during their national anthem before the match REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo
(Reuters) - Scotland might not have had as taxing a mid-year schedule as some of their Six Nations rivals but a month-long tour of the Americas has come as a bonus to coach Gregor Townsend.
While Ireland were up against World Cup winners South Africa, Wales touring Australia, England taking on the All Blacks and France in Argentina, Scotland have had a lighter load with comfortable away test wins against Canada and the United States.
They are not expected to be too taxed by Chile and Uruguay in the last two games of their month-long tour of the Americas.
But Townsend said they had learnt a lot from their long time together, which included a week of preparation in Scotland before their departure.
They beat Canada 73-12 in Ottawa on July 3 and the U.S in Washington DC 42-7 last Friday and on Saturday are in Santiago to take on Chile, who were debutants at last year’s Rugby World Cup.
Scotland conclude their tour next Saturday against Uruguay in Montevideo.
Scotland left several of their Six Nations regulars, including influential flyhalf Finn Russell, at home, electing to use the tour to bring in a host of new faces in an opportunity to widen the pool of talent available.
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
“It’s a chance for us to look at a different set of players in a test match setting, with a lot of travel and different climatic conditions,” said Townsend at a virtual press conference on Thursday.
Scotland had to deal with muggy heat and humidity over the last fortnight in North America but are now in the South American winter.
They have a mix of experience plus many earning a first call-up.
“We were always planning to give those on the squad for this tour at least two games to really give them a chance to experience test rugby ... to win their first cap and then to grow from that experience and then take it into a second game,” explained the Scotland coach.
But there is also much more to learn from time together with the players.
“So much,” emphasised Townsend, “like we learn about people as individuals.
“It's the first time we've worked with a number of these players, and we’ve gotten to know them. Plus, they get to know what a test environment looks like and obviously learn from players that have been here before.
“To have four weeks ... more because we had time at home as well ... with the group is great, you get to spend time coaching. They get the experience of playing test rugby and enjoying their teammates’ company in the four great countries we're visiting,” he added.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Toby Davis)
