Duhan van der Merwe, Jamie Ritchie and Zander Fagerson are all notable absentees from Scotland’s 23 for Saturday’s Murrayfield showdown with New Zealand.
All three have been regular starters for Gregor Townsend in recent seasons.
While prop Fagerson was in a well-documented battle to be to be fit after being sidelined by injury since early April, joint record scorer Van der Merwe and former Scotland captain Ritchie are not injured and have simply been overlooked for selection.
Glasgow wing Kyle Steyn starts instead of Van der Merwe, who notched a double against the United States last weekend.
Edinburgh prop D’Arcy Rae will start at tighthead in Fagerson’s absence and versatile Glasgow forward Gregor Brown, whose most recent starts for Scotland have come in the second row, will line up at blindside flanker in place of Perpignan back-rower Ritchie.
Rory Hutchinson of Northampton will make a rare start at centre, with Huw Jones sidelined until the new year.
Forwards Elliot Millar Mills and Rory Darge have been passed fit after their recent injury issues to be included among the substitutes as the Scots bid to pull off their first ever win over the All Blacks.
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) November 6, 2025
Scotland team to play New Zealand
Forwards: 1 Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby), 2 Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby), 3 D'Arcy Rae (Edinburgh Rugby), 4 Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), 5 Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), 6 Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors), 7 Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), 8 Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors)
Backs: 9 Ben White (Toulon), 10 Finn Russell (Bath Rugby), 11 Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), 12 Sione Tuipulotu (Captain, Glasgow Warriors), 13 Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), 14 Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby), 15 Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse)
Replacements: 16 George Turner (Harlequins), 17 Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors), 18 Elliot Millar Mills (Northampton Saints), 19 Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh Rugby), 20 Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors), 21 Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby), 22 Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), 23 Tom Jordan (Bristol Bears)