SEAN’S SHOW OF FORCE
Maitland proves his worth to Townsend on the box
GREGOR Townsend sat down in the hotel bar on the eve of last weekend’s game against the All Blacks, looked up at the television set in front of him and started planning.
His evening’s work was not for the challenge of the world champions that lay just hours ahead but for the visit of Australia which comes on Saturday at Murrayfield. And the object of his attention? Sean Maitland, who was playing on the wing for Saracens against Gloucester in the televised encounter that now held Townsend’s undivided attention.
An ankle injury had robbed the Scotland coach of Maitland’s talents but here he was back fit and, provided he emerged unscathed, now being considered for selection. Saracens lost the game but Townsend had seen enough. Maitland was back in.
‘We watched Sean’s game on Friday night in the hotel bar and it was great to see him getting involved so much,’ said Townsend. ‘He didn’t have any issues with his ankle and came through the game fine. Sean has been a quality player for Scotland over the last couple of seasons and an important player for us.
‘Having him with us this week is the first time since his Glasgow days I have coached him going into a game, so it is great to see and have him around.
‘His experience for me will be his No1 thing against Australia as he has played at the highest level for a number of years now. His current form is another because he played well for Saracens on Friday night. His versatility also helps as, like Tommy Seymour, he can move to full-back if needed.
‘He has settled into life at Saracens over the last couple of seasons very, very well and to have him available again to us for such a big game is great.’
Maitland is one of four changes for Scotland from the team that performed so heroically against the All Blacks, with Ryan Wilson, Grant Gilchrist and Simon Berghan also included in the starting XV. He takes the place of Lee Jones, who drops out altogether.
But Townsend said: ‘We play the current No 3 team in the world and, arguably, the best attacking team in the world. Australia beat New Zealand a few weeks ago, were very good against Wales and for a lot of the game on a wet day against England, so we know we’re playing one of the form teams in the world right now.
‘If we drop our standards, we’re not going to win. We know it will take a better performance than last week to win.’
Maitland will combine in the back three with Stuart Hogg and Seymour, leaving an unchanged half-back pairing of Ali Price and Finn Russell.
In midfield, Huw Jones plays alongside Alex Dunbar, provided the latter completes the graduated return-to-play protocol, having sustained a concussion last weekend.
‘This year I have had a couple of injuries and it has been stop-start, but hopefully I am over all that now. My body is feeling good and 100 per cent so that is the main thing,’ said Maitland.
‘Obviously I haven’t played Test match rugby since the Six Nations and I missed the summer tour.
‘I hadn’t played for six weeks up until last weekend, so I always knew it was a case of playing for Sarries first, getting some game time under my belt before I would have any chance of rejoining the boys at Scotland.
‘I was always aiming for that Gloucester game and playing seems to have made a difference.
‘There is a lot of competition for the wing spots and Jonesy has been playing really well so, yeah, it is great to be back and everything is groovy.’
Elsewhere in yesterday’s selection, Cornell du Preez can consider himself unlucky to drop to the bench after his excellent performance against the All Blacks. And there was a big surprise at the dropping of second row Ben Toolis to the bench with his place in the starting line-up taken by his Edinburgh team-mate Gilchrist.
Berghan comes in for tighthead Zander Fagerson, who has yet to pass his return-to-play protocols following concussion and he may have to give up his place on the bench. Jon Welsh is standing by to come in.
In the build-up to the match, there has been anger from the Australians over the poor training facilities offered. They weren’t allowed to train on one pitch because it was waterlogged, while another was being kept for a match involving Edinburgh University. While all this was going on, Scotland were training indoors at what Townsend called the ‘world-class facility’ at the Oriam on the outskirts of the city. Townsend said the Wallabies would have had justifiable cause for complaint if that had been the only training facility offered to them by the SRU. It wasn’t. ‘They had a number of other options, I believe,’ said the Scotland head coach. ‘Murrayfield was one of them because I got a call yesterday morning asking if I had any objections and I didn’t. ‘If they could not train because pitches were waterlogged then that was one option but we also made a couple of 3G pitches available, too, so there were other options for them.’