Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has refused to rule out a recall for Finn Russell if Adam Hastings misses out towards New Zealand by means of damage.
Hastings was pressured off early within the second half throughout Saturday’s 28-12 win over Fiji with a head knock and can be having a knee damage assessed.
Fly-half Russell had been omitted from the autumn internationals, with Hastings and Blair Kinghorn most popular.
“If Adam is out, Finn can be within the combine, after all,” Townsend insisted.
Scotland subsequent Sunday host a New Zealand aspect who on Saturday crushed Wales 55-23 in Cardiff and Russell pressed his case by scoring a attempt, three conversions and a penalty for Racing 92 as they defeated Perpignan 44-20 in France’s Prime 14.
Townsend had claimed Russell had been omitted because of query marks over the 30-year-old quantity 10’s “type and consistency” ranges amid hypothesis there had been a breakdown in relations between the pinnacle coach and participant.
After the victory over Fiji at Murrayfield, Townsend mentioned he had not spoken to Russell since informing him final month he was not within the unique squad, however the head coach insisted that’s not uncommon.
“If individuals are not within the squad, I do not cellphone them up repeatedly except there’s one thing to speak about,” he mentioned. “However I might think about he’d be out there.
“He was upset to not be within the squad. If we resolve to deliver one other 10, he’ll be one of many ones we’ll be taking a look at.”
Townsend was happy with the best way his aspect overcame a poor first-half show to beat Fiji.
He additionally rejected the suggestion that Scotland had been growing a fame as a crew that provides away penalties as he identified that they’d fewer than their opponents final week towards Australia and towards Fiji.
“We discovered a lesson in that first half and it was a lot better within the second half,” the Scotland boss mentioned. “We improved to win the sport, however there are definitely issues we’ll have to enhance for subsequent week.”
Fiji head coach Vern Cotter – who was accountable for Scotland between 2014 and 2017 – rued the actual fact his aspect had been unable to construct on their first-half strain by entering into forward at half-time after Hastings scored a attempt simply earlier than the break to swing the sport again within the hosts’ favour.
“There was a missed alternative about 10 minutes earlier than half-time once they had been all the way down to 14 males and, if we bought a raise off the scrum, I believe we might have walked over,” he added.
“It’s extremely onerous to win a Check match with three yellow playing cards, however I believed the fellows defended effectively.”
