Team news

Sebastian to make first test start - Scotland announce team to play Romania

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has named his match-day squad to face Romania in Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille on Saturday 30 September.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend will give a first test start to tight-head prop Javan Sebastian in a much-changed team to face Romania in their third Pool B match in Lille on Saturday, 30 September. Only Kyle Steyn - who switches from right-wing to left-wing - and centre Chris Harris remain of the 15 who started in the 45-17 win over Tonga, with experienced second-row Grant Gilchrist taking over the captaincy. Sebastian is one of five players in the starting XV - including Jamie Bhatti, Luke Crosbie, Hamish Watson and Ben Healy - making their first appearances at Rugby World Cup 2023. 

1 Jamie Bhatti
2 Ewan Ashman
3 Javan Sebastian
4 Sam Skinner
5 Grant Gilchrist (c)
6 Luke Crosbie
7 Hamish Watson
8 Matt Fagerson
9 Ali Price
10 Ben Healy
11 Kyle Steyn
12 Cameron Redpath
13 Chris Harris
14 Darcy Graham
15 Ollie Smith

Replacements:
16 Johnny Matthews
17 Rory Sutherland
18 WP Nel
19 Scott Cummings
20 Rory Darge
21 George Horne
22 Blair Kinghorn
23 Huw Jones

  • Gregor Townsend has opted for wholesale changes to his starting XV with outside-centre Chris Harris and winger Kyle Steyn the only players retaining their spots from the Tonga win.
  • Harris played in all four Scotland matches at RWC 2019 but has only had 48 minutes of game time (v Tonga) at this RWC. He made six carries for 19 metres gained and six tackles.
  • Steyn swaps wings, moving from the right to the left, with Darcy Graham taking the number 14 jersey. Steyn (10 in 14) and Graham (20 in 37) have 30 tries between them in 51 tests.
  • Harris and open-side flanker Hamish Watson are named as vice-captains of a side led by Grant Gilchrist, who has captained his country five times before, the last time against Argentina in July 2022.
  • This will be Watson’s 59th cap but his first match of RWC 2023, having seen his 2019 tournament ended by an injury in Scotland's opening pool match against Ireland four years ago.
  • Fellow back-row forward Luke Crosbie, prop Javan Sebastian and former Ireland U20s fly-half Ben Healy will make their RWC debuts, while recent call-up Johnny Matthews is set to win his first Scotland cap off the bench.

  • Rory Darge, who starts on the bench, is one of just four players to have made 20+ tackles without missing any at this year’s Rugby World Cup (24/24).