Scotland gave world champions South Africa a real contest at Murrayfield last weekend but ultimately fell short as the Boks ran out 32-15 winners in the end.
Gregor Townsend will hope to see his team bounce back with a commanding victory this weekend when they take on Portugal who will be playing at the home of Scottish Rugby for the first time in history this weekend. With many of the nation’s biggest names expected to be rested there should be a chance for the squad’s fringe players to get some time in the spotlight.
With that in mind, this is our predicted starting XV for this weekend’s third Autumn Nations Series Test:
13. Stafford McDowall
Plenty of options here for Townsend to choose from, especially if he does opt for a Jordan/Hastings partnership at 10/12 but McDowall has done more than enough with Glasgow in recent months to earn a shot to start | SNS Group
14. Arron Reed
Again, depending on how the midfield shapes up we may see a centre moved to the wing but it would be good to see the Sale Sharks man get a chance to impress from the start | SNS Group / SRU
15. Harry Paterson
After debuting in the Six Nations this year the Scotland supporters will expect to see the young full back return to the starting XV vs Portugal | SNS Group