Scotland coach Gregor Townsend has retained Pierre Schoeman for the clash with Australia at Murrayfield on Sunday.

The former Bulls prop scored a try on debut in last week’s 60-14 rout of Tonga and will start in his second appearance for his adopted country in the only change to the Scotland lineup that had ended the 2021 Six Nations with a 27-23 win away to France in Paris in March.

Schoeman takes over from the injured Rory Sutherland as Townsend has selected all of his available British & Irish Lions contingent, with Stuart Hogg returning to captain the team.

The Exeter Chiefs fullback missed the Tonga match because his English club was not obliged to release him for a fixture outside the Test window.

Meanwhile, two other Lions in Ali Price and Finn Russell form Scotland’s halfback pairing, with Matt Fagerson in at No 8.

Kyle Steyn, who scored four tries against Tonga last weekend, is on a bench from where Sale Sharks hooker Ewan Ashman and Bath loose forward Josh Bayliss could make their Scotland debuts.

Australia are on a five-match winning streak following a 32-23 victory away to Japan last month.

“While there were several positives to take from the win against Tonga we face a very different opponent in Australia this week,” said Townsend.

“They are coming into this fixture clearly off the back of good results and full of confidence, so we will need to bring focus, accuracy and aggression for the full 80 minutes,” added the former Scotland flyhalf.

Scotland – 15 Stuart Hogg (c), 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Sam Johnson, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ali Price, 8 Matt Fagerson, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 4 Sam Skinner, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 George Turner, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Subs: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 Oli Kebble, 19 Jamie Hodgson, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 George Horne, 22 Adam Hastings, 23 Kyle Steyn.

Coach: Gregor Townsend (SCO)

© Agence France-Presse