Scotland can beat 'any team we come up against'

Gregor Townsend has reiterated his belief Scotland can beat "any team we come up against" ahead of a testing Autumn Nations campaign.

While the USA this weekend and Tonga shouldn't provide too many issues for Scotland, matches against the All Blacks and Argentina will sternly test the Scots' credentials before Townsend's ninth Six Nations campaign.

Asked if four wins from four was the target in November, head coach Townsend said: "We have to go into every game with a focus on winning, with a gameplan that we believe can get us a win.

"We certainly believe the players can get us wins against any team we come up against. But it's really then down to them.

"It's how you adapt during a game, if you're ahead, if you're behind, what's working, what's not working.

"The quicker we get into that cycle the closer we will be to playing at our best."

While Scotland beat the USA on the 2024 summer tour, the ghosts of a scarring defeat in Houston back in 2018 still linger.

"They did provide tough opposition for us in Washington DC," Townsend said of last year's game which finished 42-7 to the Scots.

"It was a physical game, it was very hot and a stop-start game. They'll have built a lot of cohesion over the last few weeks.

"They've been together, they've played in the PNC [Pacific Nations Cup], they've had a couple of really good performances, a good win against Samoa, and they'll be fired up playing a Six Nations team at Murrayfield."

Townsend named his team on Thursday, with Scott Cummings starting as vice-captain after his summer away with the British and Irish Lions. Since his return to Glasgow, he's only started two of five games.

"There's a balance in the team of players that are experienced, which I think will raise the level of performance, help those players that are coming into the squad for the first time," Towsend added.

"In terms of individuals, we've looked at players that may require more match minutes.

"It has been a disrupted season for some of our players because of injury. For someone like Scott Cummings who went on the Lions tour, he came into the season a bit later, so we think for him, getting another game will be really valuable."