GREGOR Townsend has revealed that he has already decided on all but two or three names in his squad for this weekend’s first Test against Argentina - a match he is certain will be considerably more demanding than Scotland A’s 45-5 win over Chile on Saturday night. Speaking after that seven-tries-to-one victory in Santiago, the head coach also said that five or six players will be cut from the 39-strong squad tomorrow, before the tour party travels from Buenos Aires to Jujuy in northern Argentina on Wednesday.
As he explained after announcing his squad earlier this month, it has always been Townsend’s plan to jettison some players this week, and then to make a further cut before the final Test. Similarly, he has known for some time what the bulk of his team will be for the first Test - although a couple of performances at the Estadio Santa Laura Universidad in the Chilean capital may well have persuaded him to reconsider his options.
