Read on for more on Scotland’s rugby union clash with Australia and check out ourAutumn International Hospitality Packages.
Gregor Townsend's decision to leave Finn Russell out of his squad for the Autumn Internationals has dominated talk going into Saturday's clash against Australia.
The mercurial fly-half has been snubbed in favour of Blair Kinghorn, Adam Hastings and Ross Thompson, with the Scotland head coach citing "form and consistency" — despite Russell scoring 18 points for his club Racing 92 against Montpellier last weekend.
And while Russell would have missed the Wallabies game as it falls outside the Test selection window (meaning only Scottish-based players are available), his omission has sparked criticism from many pundits.
Another big name, Exeter's Stuart Hogg, will also sit this game out, as he did during Scotland's thrilling three-match series against Argentina in July. The Scots lost 2-1 but played some outstanding rugby against a strong side — particularly in the final match where they were only denied by a last-gasp Emiliano Boffelli try.
Townsend can however call upon a strong Edinburgh contingent that includes Kinghorn, captain Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson and Duhan van der Merwe. Their presence makes the home side slight favourites to beat Australia — particularly as they've won the last three meetings, including a 15-13 victory at Murrayfield this time last year.
Dave Rennie's men arrive in Scotland on a run of nine defeats in their last 12 Tests — their most recent being a crushing 40-14 defeat to New Zealand in the Rugby Championship.
And they face a punishing Autumn schedule, with games against France, Italy, Ireland and Wales on consecutive Saturdays after their Murrayfield clash. How the Wallabies fare will give a good indication of whether they're a real contender for next year's World Cup.
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