Scotland faces England in Six Nations with no Edinburgh starter for the first time since 1998

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Scotland’s lineup against England in the Six Nations this weekend does not feature a starter from the Edinburgh club for the first time in 28 years.

At least one Edinburgh player started in Scotland’s last 303 tests since 1998, according to Scottish stats provider Kevin Millar on Thursday.

Scotland has only two professional clubs: Glasgow, which leads the United Rugby Championship, and Edinburgh, which is 13th in the 16-team standings.

There are 10 Glasgow starters (plus four in the reserves) for the game at Murrayfield on Saturday. The others are based in England and France. Edinburgh has two on the bench.

Beleaguered coach Gregor Townsend responded on Thursday to the dispiriting 18-15 loss to Italy in Rome last weekend with four changes, all in the forwards.

In came Glasgow loosehead prop Nathan McBeth to make his Six Nations debut, hooker George Turner, lock Gregor Brown and former captain Jamie Ritchie at No. 6.

They replaced prop Pierre Schoeman, hooker Ewan Ashman who was injured, lock Grant Gilchrist and flanker Matt Fagerson.

The backs were unchanged, Townsend keeping faith with the back three of Kyle Steyn, Jamie Dobie and Tom Jordan, who struggled at the Stadio Olimpico.

The coach resisted recalling Duhan van der Merwe, Scotland’s record try-scorer who has seven tries against England, Darcy Graham, who remained on the bench, and Blair Kinghorn, who has returned to Toulouse per an agreement with the French club.

“There are reasons we selected that backline and the bench going into Italy and it’s the same reasons going into England,” Townsend said.

“We weren’t able to play as well as a backline (against Italy) given the weather and opportunities at the start of the game. What the back three did in the kicking battle was excellent and how they have been training is superb so we’ve backed them again this week.”

He also retained a 5-3 split on the bench, not going for 6-2 despite the depth of England’s so-called ‘Pom squad.’ Townsend was questioned after the Italy loss for not using backup flyhalf Adam Hastings off the bench, or for wasting a bench pick on a back instead of a forward.

“There are gambles going 6-2 with limited cover,” he said. “We think the weather is going to be dry so there is more opportunity for backs coming on to have an influence.

“You go into the game with expectations of using the bench but if you don’t need to — if players are playing well and there are no injuries — then at times people don’t come off the pitch.”

Despite Scotland’s struggles, it has exceeded expectations against England on Townsend’s watch. Scotland narrowly missed a fifth straight win against England last year at Twickenham after Finn Russell missed a late conversion attempt.

“It’s our biggest game of the season and it always has been,” Townsend said. “It’s even more important on the back of a disappointing defeat.”

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