A Mata of respect for Scots skipper

Jamie Ritchie can’t wait to take on his friend and Edinburgh clubmate Bill Mata for the first time in four years when Scotland host Fiji at BT Murrayfield today.

The Scotland captain’s first international at the national stadium was the test against Fiji in 2018 – and he scored a try in the 54-17 win.

Into the bargain, he got Big Bill’s jersey at the end.

“It’s going to be good fun,” said Ritchie. “There’s not been too much banter, I think we’ve both just been looking forward to it.

“My first game at Murrayfield back in 2018 was against Fiji and Bill was playing that day, and we swapped jerseys. So it will be a special day to get to run out with him on opposite sides.”

Mata is Edinburgh’s longest-serving non-Scot and a huge favourite of the capital club’s fans. But Ritchie thinks he doesn’t get credit for the kind of player he really is because of all the offloading.

“Bill’s actually pretty quiet,” said Ritchie. “We have a laugh and stuff, but he’s really a very intelligent rugby player. He doesn’t mess up a lineout call or doesn’t know a play.

“I expect that he’ll be a leader within that group, for the Fijian guys. We all know what he can do with the ball in hand, with his offloading game.

“He’s a pretty physical guy. We’ll be looking to get on the outside of him rather than run straight down his throat.”

Fiji will be a tougher nut to crack, thinks Ritchie, gaining from the attention to detail imposed by former Scotland head coach Vern Cotter, and from Scots breakdown specialist Richie Gray.

“We all know the talent as individuals that they have, playing across the world. When they get the opportunity to come together, they’re well coached and they’re a pretty formidable team.

“For us it’s about how we use our collective strengths, and we’ll look to impose our game on them. But we’re brimming with confidence.

“We know that we’ve got opportunities in the game that we’ve identified and we’ll be looking to exploit them.”

The lessons have been learned from the Australia game and the reappearance of the exiles this week has added energy to the squad, he said.

“I think our main aim is a good performance,” added Ritchie. “As forwards we’re looking to improve around our lineout and our discipline in there. We gave away a few too many penalties.”

n Owen Farrell will captain England for the first time in a year when Argentina visit Twickenham tomorrow.

Farrell has completed the return to play protocols for concussion in time to form a midfield that includes fly-half Marcus Smith and outside centre Manu Tuilagi, the first time the trio have been picked together.

The Saracens playmaker has seen off Tom Curry and Ellis Genge for the leadership duties in the absence of Courtney Lawes, who is unavailable because of concussion.

Farrell last skippered the side against Australia in the 2021 autumn campaign only to suffer successive ankle injuries and then see Lawes preferred as captain for the July tour to Australia.

It will be the fifth time he has forged a creative axis with Smith in a backline that sees recalls for scrumhalf Ben Youngs and wing Joe Cokanasiga.

Northampton forward Alex Coles will make his debut for the Red Rose in the second row alongside Jonny Hill.

NOT HOGGING THE ARMBAND: Jamie Ritchie and his predecessor as skipper Stuart Hogg at captain’s run.