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Fly-half Hastings gets Scotland recall against Fiji / Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN - AFP/File
Fly-half Hastings gets Scotland recall against Fiji
Adam Hastings has been recalled at fly-half by Scotland in place of Blair Kinghorn for Saturday's match against Fiji at Murrayfield on Saturday, as the pair battle to make the No 10 shirt their own in the absence of Finn Russell.
Hastings is one of six changes to the Scotland starting XV that suffered a narrow 16-15 loss to Australia in their Autumn Nations Series opener in Edinburgh last weekend.
Stuart Hogg returns at full-back for his first Scotland appearance since losing the captaincy to Jamie Ritchie last month.
Hastings and Hogg were both unavailable to face the Wallabies as their English clubs Gloucester and Exeter were not obliged to release players for a match that fell outside World Rugby's official window for Tests.
Kinghorn, who missed a last-ditch penalty against Australia after a fine game with ball in hand has been named on the bench.
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend had already made the controversial move to drop Racing 92 stand-off Russell from his squad for the autumn fixtures.
"Blair's played for us in that position in the last five games but this is a chance for Adam to show how well he can fit in at Test level again," said former Scotland playmaker Townsend.
"Adam is a game manager and also has the ability to run. I'd say Blair is a runner-passer and is learning more on the game-management side.
"Adam is playing regularly and playing very well for a team that's going really great in the English Premiership."
Up front, Glasgow lock Richie Gray is set to make his first Test start in over five years.
Fiji are coached by Vern Cotter, Townsend's predecessor as Scotland coach.
- 'Got to deliver' -
Defeat by Australia followed a 2-1 series loss away to Argentina in July that came after a Six Nations where Scotland won just two of their five matches.
A loss to Fiji would open up the prospect of Scotland suffering an end-of-year whitewash given their last two Autumn opponents are New Zealand -- a side they have never beaten -- and Argentina.
It would still be a major shock were Townsend to lose his job ahead of next year's World Cup in France.
"There were a lot of positives at the weekend, given we had two-thirds of our players available to us," said Townsend. "Now over the next three weekends, with everyone available we've got to deliver winning performances, that's why we're here."
Scotland (15-1)
Stuart Hogg; Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Cameron Redpath, Duhan van der Merwe; Adam Hastings, Ali Price; Matt Fagerson, Hamish Watson, Jamie Ritchie (capt); Grant Gilchrist, Richie Gray; Zander Fagerson, George Turner, Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Murphy Walker, Jonny Gray, Jack Dempsey, Ben White, Blair Kinghorn, Sione Tuipulotu
Coach: Gregor Townsend (SCO)
Q.Bernardi--INP
