Scotland team to play United States: Adam Hastings returns

Adam Hastings will return for Scotland in an entirely new starting line-up named by coach Gregor Townsend for the second Test of the summer against the United States.

None of the players that featured in the 73-12 victory against Canada will start the game against the US in Washington DC on Friday (23:30 BST).

Hastings last represented Scotland against Fiji in 2022 and partners George Horne at half-back in a backline dominated by Glasgow players.

There are four more Warriors players among the backs, with Sione Tuipulotu resuming his centre pairing with Huw Jones and Kyle Steyn – who scored one of the 11 tries in Ottawa – on the wing with Kyle Rowe at full-back.

Edinburgh winger Duhan van der Merwe, who is one shy of equalling the Scotland men’s record for tries scored, is the only non-Glasgow player behind the scrum.

Scarlets forward Alex Craig will wins his first cap in three years as he joins Scott Cummings in the second row.

Rory Darge is named co-captain with Tuipulotu, and is joined in the back row by Matt Fagerson and Jamie Ritchie, who will win his 50th cap.

Ritchie, who made his debut on the 2018 North America Tour, is named as a vice-captain for the game against the US.

Pierre Schoeman is at loosehead prop and Ewan Ashman at hooker while Murphy Walker – who has just three caps – is given a chance at tighthead.

Elliot Millar Mills, Max Williamson, Luke Crosbie, Rory Sutherland, Robbie Smith, Ross Thompson, Jamie Dobie and Matt Currie are all named among the replacements having played in Canada last weekend.

Scotland opened their summer tour last weekend by sweeping aside Canada and, after playing the US, Townsend’s side take on Chile (20 July) and Uruguay (27 July) live on BBC Scotland and iPlayer.

Scotland last faced the US in 2018, when a side containing Stuart Hogg, Blair Kinghorn, Hastings and Zander and Matt Fagerson lost 30-29 in Houston.

Scotland team to play United States

Rowe; Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu (all Glasgow), Van der Merwe (Edinburgh); Hastings, Horne (both Glasgow); Walker (Glasgow), Ashman, Schoeman (both Edinburgh); Cummings (Glasgow), Craig ­(Scarlets); Ritchie (Edinburgh), Darge, M Fagerson (both Glasgow).

Replacements: Smith (Northampton), Sutherland (Glasgow), Millar Mills (Northampton), Williamson (Glasgow), Crosbie (Edinburgh), Dobie (Glasgow), Thompson, Currie (both Edinburgh).