Scotland v All Blacks Teams: Huw Jones Returns, and Jordie Barrett Is Back for New Zealand
Both coaches have named their sides for Saturday's Murrayfield Test: a Scotland XV built around Glasgow with Huw Jones back from injury, and New Zealand welcoming back Jordie Barrett and Ethan de Groot.
Friday, November 6, 2026/2 min read
Scotland have turned to a Glasgow Warriors spine for their meeting with the All Blacks at Murrayfield on Saturday, and New Zealand have answered with a side that gets Jordie Barrett back from injury. Kick-off is 2.10pm UK time in round four of the Nations Championship, and neither coach is hiding what he thinks the game is worth.
Gregor Townsend's team, as the Irish Times set it out on Thursday, has Kyle Rowe at fullback with Blair Kinghorn on the bench, Huw Jones back from injury alongside captain Sione Tuipulotu in the centres, and Finn Russell and Ben White at half-back. Matt Fagerson returns from a groin problem in the back row.
Who is in the Scotland team to face New Zealand?
Scotland: Rowe; Kyle Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu (captain), Jamie Dobie; Russell, White; Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman, Zander Fagerson; Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings; Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey. The replacements are Gregor Hiddleston, Pierre Schoeman, Will Hurd, Max Williamson, Josh Bayliss, George Horne, Tom Jordan and Kinghorn.
Only Brown and Sutherland keep their places from the 33-17 win over Fiji in July, according to the Reuters report carried by The Star. The same report notes that Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe, Scotland's two leading try scorers, are not in the matchday squad, and that ten of the starters play for Glasgow, with Ashman the only Edinburgh man in the pack.
Who is in the All Blacks team?
Dave Rennie has made five changes from the side that played Australia in Sydney, two of them in the starting XV, the All Blacks announced. Ethan de Groot starts at loosehead prop and Jordie Barrett returns at second five-eighth.
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea, Jordie Barrett, Josh Moorby; Damian McKenzie, Cam Roigard; De Groot, Codie Taylor (captain), Fletcher Newell; Scott Barrett, Fabian Holland; Tupou Vaa'i, Peter Lakai, Wallace Sititi. The bench is Asafo Aumua, George Bower, Pasilio Tosi, Christian Lio-Willie, Anton Segner, Cortez Ratima, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Rieko Ioane.
Taylor will win his 115th cap, and Beauden Barrett, with 147, is the most experienced man on either side. The team will wear a poppy for Armistice Day and black armbands in memory of head of security Logan Cadwallader, who died suddenly in Edinburgh on Sunday, as we reported on Tuesday.
What is the history between Scotland and New Zealand?
It is lopsided. The All Blacks have won 31 of the 33 meetings since 1905 and drawn the other two, both at Murrayfield (0-0 in 1964 and 25-25 in 1983), and the last ten meetings have all been played in Edinburgh. Scotland have never beaten them.
Rennie called Scotland a quality, well-coached and deep side, adding that the All Blacks would need to be at their best. Saturday's other round-four games include Italy v South Africa in Turin at 11.40am and France v Fiji in Lyon in the evening, according to the Irish Times, with England v Australia at Twickenham following on Sunday. A first win in 34 would be a statement; a draw at Murrayfield would be a familiar one.
Published in The Outspoken Digest
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