D’Arcy Rae, Kyle Steyn and Rory Hutchinson will start against the All Blacks this weekend in front of a sold-out Scottish Gas Murrayfield for what is set to be a special occasion as the stadium celebrates 100 years.
Edinburgh Rugby tighthead prop Rae started in the 85-0 victory over USA last weekend and will pack down in the front row alongside clubmates Ewan Ashman (hooker) and Pierre Schoeman at loosehead.
Steyn comes into the line-up on the left wing, with joint-record top try scorer Darcy Graham on the other – fresh from reaching 34 international tries last weekend – and Blair Kinghorn at full-back.
Northampton Saints’ Hutchinson comes into the midfield and will partner captain Sione Tuipulotu in the centre.
British & Irish Lions duo Finn Russell and Ben White will resume their half-back partnership following a successful tour to Australia in the summer. The fly-half/scrum-half combination started all matches during the 2025 Guinness Six Nations.
Fellow Lion Scott Cummings will face the All Blacks for the first time and partners Grant Gilchrist, who featured in the previous two such contests, in the second row.
Jack Dempsey, one of four starting players retained from the USA win, continues at number 8 and completes an all-Glasgow Warriors back-row alongside Matt Fagerson, named at openside flanker, and Gregor Brown at blindside.
Rory Sutherland and Elliot Millar Mills provide cover at prop from the bench with Zander Fagerson missing out through injury.
Replacement hooker George Turner will aim for his first Scotland appearance at Murrayfield since February 2024 during a victory over England.
Marshall Sykes is selected along with Josh Bayliss and Rory Darge to complete the six forwards opted for by head coach Gregor Townsend on the bench.
Hat-trick hero from the USA match, Jamie Dobie, forms a 6-2 split alongside Tom Jordan to round off the matchday 23.
Scotland team to face All Blacks in the Quilter Nations Series at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on Saturday 8 November, kick-off 3.10pm – live on TNT Sports (caps in brackets):
15. Blair Kinghorn – Toulouse (60)
14. Darcy Graham – Edinburgh Rugby (48)
13. Rory Hutchinson – Northampton Saints (9)
12. Sione Tuipulotu – Glasgow Warriors (30) – Captain
11. Kyle Steyn – Glasgow Warriors (25)
10. Finn Russell – Bath Rugby (87) – Vice-captain
9. Ben White – Toulon (29)
1. Pierre Schoeman – Edinburgh Rugby (42)
2. Ewan Ashman – Edinburgh Rugby (29)
3. D’Arcy Rae – Edinburgh Rugby (3)
4. Scott Cummings – Glasgow Warriors (43)
5. Grant Gilchrist – Edinburgh Rugby (82) – Vice-captain
6. Gregor Brown – Glasgow Warriors (10)
7. Matt Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (57)
8. Jack Dempsey – Glasgow Warriors (27)
Replacements
16. George Turner – Harlequins (47)
17. Rory Sutherland – Glasgow Warriors (44)
18. Elliot Millar Mills – Northampton Saints (9)
19. Marshall Sykes – Edinburgh Rugby (5)
20. Rory Darge – Glasgow Warriors (32)
21. Josh Bayliss – Bath Rugby (11)
22. Jamie Dobie – Glasgow Warriors (15)
23. Tom Jordan – Bristol Bears (9)
Giddeeup
Sport Trivia: Who was the first person from South Africa to win the Olympic 100m sprint? Answer: Reggie Walker. South African Reggie Walker won the Olympic 100m track event in London in 1908. He set a new Olympic record of 10.8 seconds in his semi final, and equalled it in the final. He was just 19yrs and 128 days old when he won the gold medal. Paul Nash equalled the then world record of 10.0 seconds four times in 1968.
Vagabond Warrior
Sport Trivia: Who was South Africa\’s first Olympic Gold Medal winner? Answer: Reginald Walker. Reginald Walker was born in 1889 in Natal and in 1907 was the South African 100m champion. He battled with finances to get to London for the 1908 Summer Olympics but once he was there he managed, very unexpectedly to all those competing, to beat the field and walk off with the Gold for the 100m. As at 2005 Reggie Walker was still the youngest winner of the 100m Olympic Gold Medal.