Scots want to put on dancing shoes

NEVER mind a Springbok-style Bomb Squad – Gregor Townsend is planning to deploy a Dance Squad to run rings around tiring Tongan legs in today’s must-win Pool B encounter.

- TOM BRADSHAW

Come the hour mark, Scotland plan to unload their fleet-footed replacement backs to out-fox the Pacific islanders’ power.

The Cote d’Azur – and in particular Nice’s Jardin Albert 1st – has been gradually coming to the boil with Scotland supporters, and the Scotland coach is looking for his backs to put on a show that fans can party to.

Earlier this week at the Stade de Nice, the odd Wales and Ireland flag could be seen in the crowd during Italy’s tussle with Uruguay. But today the stadium is expected to be like Murrayfield-sur-la-Riviera.

Richie Gray, the Scotland lock, admitted to falling asleep 55 minutes into watching Tonga lose to Ireland last weekend. Today, that will be the point when Townsend is poised to shuffle his backs.

“We know this is a really important game for us so we’ve put out as strong a team as we can to win it,” said Townsend. “The last 20 minutes are going to be important, so to have players like Darcy Graham, Huw Jones and George Horne coming off the bench will give us something different.