McConnell to make Scotland debut against USA

Autumn Nations Series: Scotland v USA

Venue: Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 1 November Kick-off: 17:40 GMT

Coverage: Listen live on BBC Radio Scotland Extra, MW and online; live text on BBC Sport website

Edinburgh back row Liam McConnell will make his Scotland debut against the United States in Saturday's opening Nations Series game at Murrayfield.

Another Edinburgh player, Harri Morris, will also earn his first cap if the hooker comes off the bench, while tighthead D'Arcy Rae will make his first Scotland start.

Head coach Gregor Townsend was restricted to selecting from Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors players as the fixture lies outside the international window.

A full squad will be available to face New Zealand in the second match of the autumn series on 8 November.

Edinburgh winger Duhan van der Merwe will win his 50th cap against the US.

Warriors centre Stafford McDowall will captain the side having done so during the summer match against New Zealand Maori and against Portugal last November.

His Glasgow team-mate Jack Dempsey features for the first time since this year's Six Nations at number eight after recovering from injury.

Edinburgh back row Magnus Bradbury is in line for a first Scotland outing since 2022 from the bench.

Rae is one of six players with 10 or fewer caps, the others being Warriors centre Ollie Smith and Edinburgh forwards Patrick Harrison, Marshall Sykes, Dylan Richardson and 21-year-old McConnell.

Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors, capt), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh); Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors); Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors), Patrick Harrison (Edinburgh), D'Arcy Rae (Edinburgh), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh), Liam McConnell (Edinburgh), Dylan Richardson (Edinburgh), Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors).

Replacements: Harri Morris (Edinburgh), Nathan McBeth (Glasgow Warriors), Murphy Walker (Glasgow Warriors), Alex Samuel (Glasgow Warriors), Max Williamson (Glasgow Warriors), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Thompson (Edinburgh).