Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is hoping Darcy Graham’s return can spark his side’s attack when they face Australia at Murrayfield on Sunday.
Graham, Scotland’s leading try-scorer, is one of two changes to the team beaten 43-12 by New Zealand in last weekend’s Nations Championship fixture.
Blair Kinghorn also returns at full-back, while Jamie Dobie and Kyle Rowe drop out of the starting line-up against the Wallabies.
Townsend had warned that no player was “undroppable” after the heavy defeat by the All Blacks, during which Scotland failed to score in the second half.
However, by making only two changes, he has given most of the team an opportunity to respond in a must-win encounter with Australia.
Graham has recovered far sooner than expected from a bicep injury that was initially expected to keep him sidelined until the new year. With the dynamic winger now ready to return, Townsend said: “Darcy is in a very good place and we can’t wait to see him play.
Darcy Graham has recovered from bicep and calf problems and will face Australia at Murrayfield
“When we began camp, he had also suffered a calf injury following the bicep problem, so he was unable to train. He had been due to play for Edinburgh against Benetton but remained with us.
“By the time we reached the New Zealand week, we felt that although he had been cleared to play, it was not the right time to consider him.
“He is looking good now and is ready to go. We are equally excited to have Blair Kinghorn back in the team.”
Scotland winger Kyle Steyn said earlier this week that the team’s senior players needed to take responsibility after the disappointment against New Zealand.
Scotland have conceded more than 30 points per game on average over the past year, with their defence becoming an increasingly serious concern.
Townsend acknowledged that improvement is required, but said the latest problems were primarily the result of individual lapses rather than a flaw in the defensive system.
“The issues at the weekend were more about the way we gave New Zealand opportunities inside our 22, rather than the defensive system itself,” he said.
“Players going offside or failing to roll away quickly are part of defence, but those situations are also about individual responsibility and making it more difficult for the opposition to reach our 22.
“You have to defend as well as possible once they get there, but if you give the best teams in the world those opportunities, they will look to score more than half the time. We have to improve in that area.”
Gregor Townsend has made just two changes to the side beaten by New Zealand last weekend
Scotland must defeat Australia to give themselves a realistic chance of reaching a meaningful finals-weekend fixture in the Nations Championship. They host Japan next weekend before the finals are staged at Twickenham a week later.
Townsend expects Australia to provide a formidable test as they attempt to recover from their own defeat by England last weekend.
“I think Australia will have a similar mindset to us,” the Scotland head coach added. “They will want to be physical, start quickly and show a more accurate picture of what they can do.
“They will also want to reproduce some of their best performances this year, whether that was away to Argentina or against South Africa.
“They have selected a strong team with quality across the squad. They will look to move the ball quickly, while we know the aerial contest will be important too. They are physical, ambitious and highly motivated opponents.
“The weather forecast suggests it could be wet, perhaps even wetter than we first expected. Defence will be crucial, but we are accustomed to playing rugby in those conditions.
“If we perform close to our best, we believe we can challenge any team in the world. That is the opportunity we want to give ourselves. We did not do that last weekend.”
