Scotland’s Holy Trinity of Graham, van der Merwe and Kinghorn are no more as Townsend picks on form rather than reputation

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has broken up the established back-three trio of Darcy Graham, Duhan van der Merwe, and Blair Kinghorn ahead of the clash against New Zealand at Murrayfield. Graham and Van der Merwe have missed out on selection following injury setbacks and limited game time, while Kinghorn has been named on the bench. Townsend has instead opted to start Kyle Rowe at full-back alongside wingers Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie.

The selection heavily favors Glasgow Warriors, featuring 10 players from the unbeaten club in Scotland's starting lineup. Calum Crowe argues that Townsend is rightly prioritizing current form over past reputation as Scotland pursues a historic first victory against the All Blacks. Captain Sione Tuipulotu partners Huw Jones in the midfield, with Finn Russell directing play at fly-half against a full-strength New Zealand side featuring Damian McKenzie.