Both teams are missing some key players due to the fixture falling outside the international Test window, with the likes of Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn, Semi Radradra and Eroni Mawi missing out. However, there is a saving grace for both the hosts and visitors: while the Scots have almost an entire Edinburgh/Glasgow contingent, the Fijis will also benefit from the cohesion of their squad being stocked full of Fijian Drua, the country’s Super Rugby Pacific team.
Scotland will be going into this game full of confidence as they have won seven of their previous nine Test matches against Fiji, winning every game (five) that has been played at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, with an average win margin of 20 points.
Both teams like to play free-flowing, fast and expansive rugby, which is reflected by an average of 54.1 points scored per game when these two meet.
Speaking of which, the last time they met was during the 2022 Autumn Nations Series where Scotland edged out a 28-12 win.
Fijian form
Fiji come into this game off the back of being named Pacific Nations Cup winners for a record sixth time, winning each of the four games by a margin of 15 points or more. This cements the Flying Fijians’ longest winning run since June-July 2017, where they also won four in a row. Intriguingly, this was a run that included their most recent victory against Scotland (27-22).
Carrying statistics
If you’re looking to see where the damage can be done, look no further than these two teams’ main ball carriers.
Fiji’s Tevita Ikanivere made 46 carries during the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup, more than any other player. He gained 82 metres in contact from those carries, which is also a tournament high.
So far in 2024, Kyle Rowe carried for 387 meters, which is the third highest out of all men’s international players, averaging out at 119.8 metres per 80 minutes.
The side which can best limit the havoc wrought by this pair could edge the encounter, but that would be to take their eye off the X-factor of someone like Duhan van der Merwe, who recently became Scotland’s top try scorer in men’s Test rugby (28), and can create a try from seemingly very little.
Defensive success
Scotland had the highest tackle success rate of any team in the 2024 Guinness Men’s Six Nations (89.3%), while Fiji had the lowest rate of any team in the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup (80.6%). That doesn’t quite speak to the good work Fiji have done under new head coach Mick Byrne and his staff when it comes to defence, since they have shown signs of improvement when it comes to stopping opponents in possession. Once that clicks, they will be a hard team to overcome, and having already beaten England and Australia last year, Fiji will be eyeing some big scalps this November.
Offload kings
Fiji have cornered the market when it comes to offloads. They made 38 of them during the Pacific Nations Cup this year, which was more than any other side. Four of the seven players to make five or more offloads during the tournament were Fijian (Ilasia Droasese, Iosefo Nasi, Meli Derenalagi and Vuate Karawalevu).
Record-breaking Townsend
This will be Gregor Townsend’s 83rd Test as head coach of Scotland, a record for a British head coach in charge of a men’s international team. He surpasses Sir Clive Woodward who oversaw 82 England Tests.
