Gregor Townsend provides injury update after Scotland's win over Fiji - Nations Championship

Scotland responded well from leaking three tries in the first half, with the latter 40 minutes seeing the Scots fight from behind for the 33-17 win. Scotland ran in five tries to pick up the win, as tries from Jonny Gray, Pierre Schoeman and Scott Cummings along with a Jamie Dobie brace was enough to seal the victory.

After the match, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend head down to the press conference, where he gave a resounding review of the win over Fiji.

There was an enticing Pacific Island feel around the Scottish capital this afternoon, as the Flying Fijians were hosts for the day at the home of the SRU. Whilst it was quite the surreal experience for Gregor Townsend's men to be considered the 'away team' for their third round match in the Nations Championship, Townsend expressed how he enjoyed the novelty of having Fiji take over their usual Murrayfield caudron.

"I thought it was a great occasion today. When we arrived with the Fijian music, Fijian dancers, warriors, it reminded us of when we were on tour last year. We had a brilliant experience out in Fiji. There's a link there obviously with the city [Edinburgh] with the amount of Fijians that are based in Edinburgh, and Fijian players that play for Scottish clubs. I thought it was a great atmosphere.

"It didn't feel like an away game, given that it's our stadium, but it was a great occasion. In terms of the [Nations] Championship, I've really enjoyed all the rugby on a Saturday. It's great to watch and it's shaping well."

"Knowing that all of the Northern Hemisphere teams have got their away games right now and they'll have their home games in November, there's been some classic matches. We've been outside of the club for a few years, but just to be in Argentina, in South Africa, you feel your apart of something bigger than just a friendly.

"And we do have something to strive towards when we come back in November. I imagine we'll be second or third, depending on what happens with the England game [against Argentina]. That gives us something to really go for, to try and finsih in the top half of the [Northern Conference] table."

The Fijians were certainly flying out of the line today, with some thunderous tackles thumping in to the Scotland players as the Pacific Island side laid down an early defensive marker in the Scottish capital city. Townsend provided an injury update upon his squad once the dust was settled, with two withdrawals from the match coming as a result of the incredibly physical fray.

"Two of the changes were injuries. Jonny Gray had failed his HIA and Darcy [Graham] got a whack in the side and he couldn't continue as well. Gregor Brown also, he was more just cramp I think, that was part of the reason behind the changes at times because of injuries."

There were big hits going in all over the place, but that [Darcy Graham] was a specific one. I think Duhan [van der Merwe] got a whack in the head, he's got a lump on his head but he's fine. I think to be able to ride those collisions and look after the ball, we didn't do it all perfectly, but it shows you how Fiji can get possession of you with what their doing in defense."

A stand-out performer from the match was Glasgow Warriors man Gregor Brown, who has enjoyed a stellar campaign and ended his season on a real wave of momnentum. With versatility across both the engine room and back row, Brown looks set to be a marquee man for the future of the Scotland side, with Townsend delighted with his performance against Fiji today, and hopes to see the forward earn more game time back at Sctostoun next season.

"A lot will depend on whether he gets those opportunities at Glasgow, we obviously know Jack [Dempsey] is leaving, it could be an option for Glasgow but Franco [Smith] will decide that one. I've not seen the stats, but he got a lot of carries, and that's one of his biggest strengths now. He does carry a lot when he's at six or second row, there's maybe two or three carries a half, or a game, that you get at number eight.

"It was a shame that he could not go eighty minutes, but we're pleased that he was available for this tour at the end of the season. He came back for our training week in Spain and has now been involved in three games. He's such a good player with a big future, the ability to play second row in a test match against the Springboks last week and now play number eight, shows that he's going to be valuable for us in the future."

Another incredibly versatile player who rose to the occassion throughout the Nations Championship, Jamie Dobie showcased his unique skillset across both the wing and in the scrum half spot when called upon by Gregor Townsend. Having not featured in the nine role for the best part of three months, Dobie had an immediate try-scoring impact from the bench as he replaced George Horne, and bagged a brace throughout the second half.

"His [Dobie] ability to go into nine seamlessly [is good], he'd been out what, three or four months, and got selected for the [URC] semi-final for Glasgow and he played well that day. He hadn't played nine for five or six months, given that he'd been playing wing for Glasgow and wing for us.

He then played wing on our first two games on tour [Argentina and South Africa], and he did a good job on the wing, and today I think he was excellent. Another player that we were delighted was available for tour, and someone that is going to be apart of the team for years to come."

TOWNSEND DELIGHTED TO WELCOME BACK DUHAN VAN DER MERWE AT FULL FLIGHT

Gregor Townsend then closed out the post-match discussion with his delight in seeing Duhan van der Merwe back in full flight in a Scottish jersey, after a turbulent season across the injury wards. The Edinburgh man struggled with a mid-season hip issue and also had to recover from an ankle injury, in order to make his first appearance of the Nations Championship today, having sat out the earlier trips to Argentina and South Africa.

"He didn't get the opportunities in the first half. We were getting a lot of play through our forwards' carry, we maybe went to the maul too much. Fiji defended the maul very well, but in the second half of the game it opened up and I thought he [van der Merwe] had real difference making moments.

"Obviously the try [assist] for Jamie [Dobie], the ball catch, and his willingness to carry and run lines that you think were a forwards' carry, but he ran really hard.

"He's trained really well, Duhan, there were some physical issues or injury issues that he's had to deal with. But he came back for Edinburgh, he trained well for them and he played well. But now we have the evidence that he's been in great form again, it's a shame that this season is coming to an end, it's obviously great that he's played a good game today to finish this season."