Hawick rugby hero Darcy Graham in line for first Scotland game for almost 13 months

Darcy Graham during a Scotland training session at the Oriam in Edinburgh on Monday (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group/SRU)Darcy Graham during a Scotland training session at the Oriam in Edinburgh on Monday (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group/SRU)
Darcy Graham during a Scotland training session at the Oriam in Edinburgh on Monday (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group/SRU)
Hawick rugby hero Darcy Graham is to make his first appearance for Scotland for just short of 13 months this weekend.

The Edinburgh right-winger has been named in head coach Gregor Townsend’s starting line-up to take on Fiji at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium this Saturday, with kick-off at 5.40pm.

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That will be the 27-year-old’s first appearance in a Scotland shirt since he went off injured 50 minutes into the 36-14 defeat by Ireland in Paris that saw Scotland go out of 2024’s Rugby World Cup at the start of last October, missing this year’s Six Nations and a summer tour of the Americas in the interim with further injuries.

He’s the only Borderer in the Scots’ starting XV, captained by Glasgow Warriors inside-centre Sione Tuipulotu, though former Southern Knights openside flanker Rory Darge features too and fellow ex-Green Rory Sutherland has been given a place on the bench.

Rory Sutherland during a Scotland training session at the Oriam in Edinburgh on Monday (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group/SRU)Rory Sutherland during a Scotland training session at the Oriam in Edinburgh on Monday (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group/SRU)
Rory Sutherland during a Scotland training session at the Oriam in Edinburgh on Monday (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group/SRU)

Scotland defence coach Steve Tandy is glad to have Graham available for selection again after over a year’s absence, saying: “It’s awesome to see him back.

“Seeing him bubbly and smiling coming in was great.

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“I think he’s starting to hit his straps at Edinburgh as well. The last game he played he was outstanding.

“It’s exciting to be have him back in.

Gregor Townsend at Monday’s Scotland training session at Edinburgh’s Oriam (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group/SRU)Gregor Townsend at Monday’s Scotland training session at Edinburgh’s Oriam (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group/SRU)
Gregor Townsend at Monday’s Scotland training session at Edinburgh’s Oriam (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group/SRU)

“All the strength and conditioning people and the medics will assess him, but he’s looking great.

“As a coach, you get really frustrated for players when they’re out. We definitely miss a world-class winger like Darcy, but then you feel for them as well because they’ve got to go through all that.

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“On the flip-side, it provides opportunity, and that’s where Kyle Steyn has come in and done a great job, and Kyle Rowe and Arron Reed.

“Someone missing out creates another opportunity for someone else and hopefully that thickens us up going down the track and increases the squad depth that we want, but you always miss a world-class winger like Darcy.

“You miss the personality as well in the environment. He’s class.”

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Graham – allocated by Edinburgh to old club Hawick as a draft player this season, along with fellow ex-Green Hector Patterson – has started five of the capital club’s first six matches of the new United Rugby Championship season after being out injured since mid-January.

The No 14 is currently on 39 caps, Glasgow Warriors loosehead prop Sutherland, 32, is on 32 and his Warriors team-mate Darge, 24, is on 22.

Kyle Rowe, Huw Jones, Duhan van der Merwe, Adam Hastings, Ali Price, Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, Zander and Matt Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Scott Cummings and Jack Dempsey are Scotland’s other starters.

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Joining Sutherland on the substitutes’ bench are D’Arcy Rae, Max Williamson, Gregor Brown, Jamie Dobie, Tom Jordan and Stafford McDowall.

Graham and Sutherland are among three Borderers in Scotland’s 45-strong autumn test squad, the other one being former Peebles hooker Patrick Harrison.

The 22-year-old, now at Edinburgh, has two caps to his name thus far.

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