Scottish Rugby

Lauren Jenkins
BBC Sport in Melbourne

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Centre Sione Tuipulotu says he returns to his home city Melbourne with a chip on his shoulder going into the second British and Irish Lions Test with Australia on Saturday.

The 28-year-old, who scored the Lions' opening try in a 27-19 first Test win over the Wallabies in Brisbane, started his career at Melbourne Rebels but chose to play his rugby away from Australia after struggling to nail down a regular starting spot.

Following a move from Japan to Glasgow Warriors in 2021, Tuipulotu opted to represent Scotland, who he is eligible to play for through his grandmother.

"If you had asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say yeah, it's personal," Tuipulotu said.

"There's still a chip on my shoulder. What has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all.

"I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn't a selector problem, I wasn't good enough, that's plain and simple.

"I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they've made me the player that I am today.

"Now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series. The stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful."

The Scotland captain watched the Lions Test series with Australia in 2013 with his brother Mosese, who plays his rugby in Scotland with Edinburgh.

''My little brother, Mosese, was flag-bearer for the game. It was pretty cool man. It's crazy that 12 years later I'm playing in one of these Test games," he added.

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We asked for your views on whether Scotland's summer tour should be regarded as a success or a failure.

Here's what some of you said:

Abigail: I don't think it can be classed as a success without the win in Fiji. However, I do believe the players on the tour will have learned a lot during their game time. The players built strong cohesion to end the tour and some players really stood out for Scotland selection, which is the ultimate aim. Especially Jamie Dobie, Andy Christie, Fergus Burke, Gregor Brown, Kyle Rowe, Ben Muncaster and Ollie Smith.

George: Yes, it was a success because of the amount of first-team players who were missing. They did great against Samoa.

Bernard: No, it's been a failure. We couldn't find our game against Fiji and got beat for it. Winning against Samoa isn't getting us into the top-six rankings, which means another group of death in the next World Cup. Gregor Townsend's time is up.

Jake: The Fiji game was billed as crucial to our World Cup seeding so the success of the tour can only be judged on this game. We once again showed a complete inability to perform when it really matters; characteristic of Townsend's tenure as head coach. The only way the tour could be judged a success is if the higher-ups at the SRU finally see sense off the back of this fresh failure and remove Townsend.

Kev: I'm counting the performance of the Dobie-Burke combination as a success. They looked class against Samoa, with the creative emphasis taken on by Dobie while Burke attacked the line with solid skill. Of course the Fiji result is not ideal, but the exposure of the wider squad to test match rugby is a plus. Christie and Fin Richardson also looked up to speed and offering something to be hopeful for in the future.

Stuart: The Scots did their job well against Samoa. Ewan Ashman had a good game, his first for a while. Arron Reed and Rowe connected well, as did Burke in the midfield. Fiji was a disaster but a good look at the talent coming through. Townsend has done well. The players let him down badly last week.

Tam: Scotland still lack the killer instinct when they are ahead of teams. It's something which has not been addressed. We are able to fight back great and hold out wins here or there, however there is a lack of cutting edge, especially in second-half performances. Townsend says we showed character. We know we have that within us but it's taking teams to the sword which we lack.

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Gregor Townsend says Scotland showed their true colours against Samoa as they ended their summer tour with a commanding victory.

The Scots ran in seven tries in Auckland to bounce back from last week's loss against Fiji.

And Townsend was delighted with the performance.

"We had to defend really well at the beginning of the game," Townsend said.

"Samoa were direct and physical. We were really clinical in the 22, through direct carrying and good skills.

"It's hugely important [to bounce back]. You rise to a challenge and you show your true identity when you rise to a challenge.

"The players showed that. They were really aligned and focused on delivering a better performance."

Scotland ended their summer tour in style with a commanding 41-12 win over Samoa in Auckland.

What did you make of their victory? Who stood out to you?

And as Gregor Townsend's men head home with wins over Maori All Blacks and Samoa bookending the defeat by Fiji, has the tour been a success?

Tell us your thoughts here.

The latest episode of the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast is now available.

George O'Neill is joined by former Scotland 7s international Colin Gregor and BBC Scotland's chief sports writer, Tom English.

They talk British and Irish Lions selection, with Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones all picked to start Saturday's first Test against Australia, Scotland's defeat by Fiji and their upcoming Test against Samoa.

Subscribe and listen to the episode in full.

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Scotland captain Rory Darge says he is feeling added responsibility as they try to finish their summer tour on a high.

Darge will lead out the Scots against Samoa in Auckland on Friday, determined to atone for their previous outing.

Scotland were beaten 29-14 by Fiji last week following an opening victory over Maori All Blacks.

With Finn Russell away on Lions duty, Darge has stepped up to take the captaincy on his own.

"It's something that I feel like I've enjoyed more and more, leading the team in some sort of way," the Glasgow flanker said. "And whatever way it is, I'm obviously happy to do it.

"Being given the honour of captain is something that I'll never take for granted. I'm just enjoying it, I'm enjoying the challenges of it as well.

"Obviously it was a frustrating performance last weekend and when you're the captain you maybe feel that more on yourself. It's something that I think I'm just starting to grow in.

"I suppose that's what makes last Saturday more frustrating. I don't think we really gave the tour justice and that's why this Friday is so important.

"It's been great from everyone involved. The connections that we've had and the quality time we've spent together.

"The time difference means that not a lot of people are up at the same time as you from back home. So your companions out here are the only ones you really spend any time with.

"It's great for us to spend that time together. That's what made last Saturday more frustrating. But it puts more pressure on us this Friday to give a performance that the tour deserves."

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Scotland's summer tour comes to a close on Friday against Samoa in Auckland and the match is available to watch live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

Build-up gets under way at 08:25 with kick-off at 08:35.

The Scots beat Maori All Blacks 29-26 in Whangarei but lost 29-14 to Fiji in Suva last weekend.

Gregor Townsend has urged his side to finish on a high after that disappointing reverse against Fiji.

"Tours are remembered in part by what you experience off the field but also by how well you play and the results you produce," he said.

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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New Zealand-born Fergus Burke feels like "it was meant to be" after making his Scotland debut in the southern hemisphere.

The 25-year-old Saracens fly-half was in Gregor Townsend's squad for this year's Six Nations, but it was not until Friday's 29-14 summer tour defeat by Fiji that he earned his first cap.

It could be quickly followed by a second against Samoa at Eden Park in the land of his birth on Friday and, not surprisingly, he has "a fair few people" chasing him for tickets.

"I've had a few messages from people I haven't heard from for a while, but I'll hopefully get a good contingent of support there and it'll be cool," Burke said.

"It is a weird one. Obviously I was in for the Six Nations but didn't get a crack, so it is almost like this was the way it was meant to be when I get my first opportunity so my family could actually be here."

Darcy Graham was sent off after a second yellow card while Ewan Ashman was also sin-binned in Suva and Burke thinks the Scots can perform better against Samoa if they improve their discipline.

"I think in parts of that Fiji game we showed how good we are as a team when we get it right, but we got our discipline wrong and ended up making a lot more tackles than we needed to," he said.

Burke expects "a similar challenge to Fiji" but hopes to spend less time on defence against Samoa.

"I think they are going to be a little more structured than Fiji was - Fiji was quite loose and the looser the game got, the better they got," he suggested.

"I've got a feeling Samoa are going to kick a little bit more. We know how important this game is and we are pretty focused on getting it right."

Burke ended the game playing at full-back after Adam Hastings' introduction.

"I wasn't expecting that, but I played a little bit of full-back when I was still in New Zealand at Crusaders, so I felt reasonably comfortable there and I enjoyed playing with Adam as well," he added.

"I thought it was good when he came on and we probably got our most attacking in that last 10 minutes with ball in hand."

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Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors have learned their fixtures for the pool stage of the 2025-26 Investec Champions Cup.

Glasgow have been handed a tough draw as they will face with three-time winners Saracens and record six-time champions Toulouse in Pool 1, with both sides set to visit Scotstoun.

The Warriors also face trips to Sale Sharks and Clermont Auvergne.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh also have a challenging group of opponents in Pool 2, with Premiership champions Bath, who won last year's Challenge Cup, joining Gloucester, Castres and three-time winners Toulon.

Edinburgh will host Toulon and Gloucester and travel to Castres and Bath.

Glasgow's Champions Cup pool fixtures:

• Sale Sharks v Glasgow - Friday, 5 December

• Glasgow v Toulouse - Saturday, 13 December

• Clermont v Glasgow - Saturday, 10 January

• Glasgow v Saracens - Sunday, 18 January

Edinburgh's Champions Cup pool fixtures:

• Edinburgh v Toulon - Sunday, 7 December

• Castres v Edinburgh - Sunday, 14 December

• Edinburgh v Gloucester - Friday, 9 January

• Bath v Edinburgh Rugby - Friday, 16 January

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Fergus Burke will be hoping his rendition of "Eda Sa Qaqa" proves prophetic as the Saracens fly-half looks to fulfil his "burning desire" to recover from a debut defeat in a Scotland jersey.

The New Zealand-born 25-year-old chose the Fijian song, which translates as "We Have Overcome", as his initiation piece after Friday's 29-14 loss in the South Pacific island.

This Friday, he hopes to turn the tables on another rugby nation he knows well, Samoa, as Scotland end their summer tour at Ellis Park in the land of his birth.

"It was a super proud day for me and my family to get my first international cap for Scotland," he said.

"But obviously we didn't get the result we were after, so it was tainted a little bit and it was a weird one - I didn't know how to feel really.

"Immensely proud but got a bit of a burning desire to get the right result this week."

Burke said that, despite the defeat, it "was super special" to live out his childhood "dream", hearing "Flower Of Scotland" before the game and being presented with his first cap by captain Rory Darge.

"I even had to sing a song in the after-match, which was entertaining," he said.

"I wasn't expecting it at all. I wasn't given a heads up."

Explaining his choice of a hymn particularly associated with the Fijian rugby team, he added: "So I went for a Fijian song so the Fijian community could join in and help me.

"I think I did the first line of the song and then let them take over."

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Assistant coach Pete Horne is "sure we'll see a reaction" from Scotland against Samoa following their bruising loss to Fiji.

Horne says errors in the "breakdown area" played a big part in the defeat, which has severely dented the Scots' hopes of getting a favourable World Cup draw.

Therefore, the squad have put "a big focus" on addressing that prior to Friday's meeting with Samoa.

"A lot of the things that went wrong at the weekend were around the breakdown area, so there's been a big focus on that," Horne said.

"Especially that last 15 minutes. They really hammered us there. We showed a bit of footage on little ways that we can find solutions to be better and stop them getting over the ball. Ands that will just sharpen the focus.

"We defended so well for large parts of that game and just gave them a few cheap easy ins through offsides. Something like an offside, that's an easy fix.

"The players are all over it. The leaders have already spoken about that. I'm sure we'll see a reaction."

Scotland will face Samoa without winger Darcy Graham, who has left Gregor Townsend's set-up to join eight compatriots in the British and Irish Lions squad.

Prop Rory Sutherland and hooker Ewan Ashman will follow him after Friday's match and could feature for the Lions next Tuesday against a First Nations & Pasifika XV.

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We asked your for your views following Scotland's disappointing defeat to Fiji in Suva.

Here's what some of you said:

David: If this was such an important fixture, why was it arranged when eight first choice Scotland players were on tour with the Lions? It beggars belief that Scotland's chances in the next World Cup could be put at risk in this way.

Gordon: Awful from Scotland. Poor discipline, poor handling and they looked knackered from the 10 minute mark. Another group of death at the World Cup awaits and Townsend deserves nothing less.

No idea why some of the guys who played last week didn't play this week, shocking decision from the coaches.

Doug: This is Groundhog Day with Scotland.

One week promising, the next disappointing. Townsend has never achieved consistency with Scotland which has meant no serious challenge for any trophy.

I think he has achieved some great results at times but we will have the same conversations about missed opportunities after the 2026 Six Nations that we have done the last two years.

We need a change, no guarantees of improvement but we can't keep going on the same mediocre cycles.

Charlie: While the result isn't necessarily his fault, the buck must rest with the head coach. Townsend has done a very good job taking Scotland this far, however, it looks as though we are in for another tough World Cup pool and, thus, an early exit. It's time to promote Franco.

Shaun: One of the worst performances I've ever seen from the team.

We as fans are sick to death with these performances now. If Alex Williamson is seriously considering offering a new deal then his head needs examined.

We as fans can see Gregor's time is up ,so Alex needs to have the guts to act before it's too late! To say I'm furious after that would be an understatement 😡!

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Scotland captain Rory Darge says the side will have to put in a "much better" performance than what they showed in Fiji for next weekend's Test match against Samoa.

Despite scoring early in the first half, the Scots suffered a humbling 29-14 defeat in Suva.

The loss will cost the Scots world rankings points and likely push them out of the top six for December's World Cup draw, putting a dent in their hopes of getting a favourable draw.

"We were all really looking forward to playing Fiji," Darge said.

"It's a unique experience. It's the first time for a lot of us playing here. We knew the challenge we were going into and what a quality side Fiji are.

"But I'm sure there'll be a lot of things in the review that we can control and do much better."