Captain Stuart McInally ‘chuffed’ to be back as Scotland wrap up summer tour

Tour captain puts injury nightmare behind him for clash with Argentina

Scotland summer tour captain Stuart McInally is finally fit to lead his side out in the final game of the tour in Argentina.

The tourists wrap up their summer against Argentina tonight, having won one and lost one of their games so far.

McInally missed the meetings with Canada and the United States due to a calf problem and has been desperate to be involved.

“It’s been an annoying couple of weeks, having to be around the team and not be able to take to the pitch,” McInally said.

“It’s been good in a way, just staying part of it and trying to lead in other ways, not just on the pitch. It’s been a good challenge, but I’m much more confident now I’m back training and playing.”

“I’m just happy to be back. I don’t find myself getting too over the moon about it. It’s another game and an important game for us, but I’m just chuffed to be back. Knowing I’ll be captain of the team tomorrow is really special for me and for my family, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

He is expecting a red-hot atmosphere inthetightfootballstadiuminResistencia in northern Argentina and believes the home side will respond to that.

The Pumas are also about to change coaches with Daniel Hourcade, who has been in charge for the last six years saying he would resign after this game regardless of the result.

For McInally, that only makes them more dangerous.

“It will certainly add to the passion they play with normally,” he said.

“They have an even bigger motivation to play for now, they know it is his last game and will want to send him out on a high. It will be very passionate and very physical.

“They’re a very passionate team at the best of times so they’ll have a lot of emotion tomorrow I’m sure. We just have to get ourselves right.

“It’s going to be an intense atmosphere with the crowd right on top of us. They’re going to be very physical, very fast. Especially when you look at the way the Jaguares (the Argentine Super Rugby franchise) play.

“They’ve got the talent to throw the ball about and have also got forwards from one to eight who can all be really physical.”

McInally is aiming to reset the team after their shock defeat to the USA last week, but has a side with eight fresh faces who were not involved in that game, while Tim Swinson reverts to his usual role of lock after being tried at flanker.

Flanker is still the position where Gregor Townsend, the Scotland head coach, has gambled with Fraser Brown, a hooker, being tried out there this week.

“He (Brown) has done it a lot with Glasgow,” McInally pointed out.

“He slots in there no problem, he is someone I like playing with because he is so detailed.

“We have to work well off defensive line outs add things and have been speaking a lot this week about where we think they might attack. I love working with Fraser, he is a great player, great that he can move so easily between the two positions.”

Scotland: Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors – vice-captain), Dougie Fife (Edinburgh), Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors), Pete Horne (Glasgow), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), Adam Hastings (Glasgow), George Horne (Glasgow), Allan Dell (Edinburgh), Stuart McInally (Edinburgh – captain), Simon Berghan (Edinburgh), Tim Swinson (Glasgow), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh – vicecaptain), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh), Fraser Brown (Glasgow), David Denton (Leicester Tigers).

Replacements: George Turner (Glasgow), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow), Ben Toolis (Edinburgh), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Scarlets), James Lang (Harlequins), Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons).