Skinner stands out for Scotland
By Mark Stevens
11/11/18
Head coach Gregor Townsend praised debutant Sam Skinner after he helped Scotland to a 54-17 victory over Fiji at BT Murrayfield.
The Exeter Chiefs forward was only brought into Townsend’s plans ahead of the Autumn series, but he wasted little time in showcasing his talents on the international stage.
The 23-year-old forward was named man of the match, producing an eye-catching, livewire display that Townsend was quick to highlight following the final whistle.
“It’s great that his [Skinner] first game was a winning performance and I thought he did really well,” said Townsend. “The way he plays for his club and his style of play suits what we’re trying to do. He’s a decision maker, whilst he can really get around the park which obviously helps.”
Winger Tommy Seymour scored a hat-trick of tries for the home side as they weathered an early storm to eventually blow Fiji away.
Tries from Viliame Mata and Semi Radradra had Fiji in front briefly, but Allan Dell, Fraser Brown and Seymour touched down as Scotland edged to a 17-14 lead at the interval.
Seymour went over twice in a second-half rout, with Sean Maitland, Jamie Ritchie and Adam Hastings also scoring.
For Skinner, though, he could not have asked for a better first outing. Naturally, he was delighted with not only his performance, but the whole occasion.
"I've grown up supporting Scotland and England, which is very rare, I suppose," said Skinner, who has previously represented England’s Under-20s. "So it was a tough decision [to represent Scotland] but it also wasn't at all. I want to make my family proud. I'm honoured to play for Scotland.
"My dad grew up supporting Scotland. Being in the living room, watching my dad watch Scotland, walking in and out, stressing about the game. He's probably going to have an early night - the anxiety has probably crippled him. He honestly gets more nervous than I do for games; he doesn't say a word to people before."
Skinner revealed his father "took a massive step back" and left his son to decide whether to pursue Test honours with Scotland.
After a debut that featured 10 ball-carries, 44m gained on the run and a perfect seven out of seven tackles completed, Skinner reflected on his arrival in the autumn camp.
"I didn't know what to expect - a little posh boy from England walking into the Scotland camp, but they've been awesome, really friendly," he said.
"I love the way Scotland play. I think it suits my game. I really like the way Gregor's trying to implement a fast, high-tempo, almost champagne style of rugby. They play a similar style to Exeter and that excites me. When a team shows interest in you, that you're the sort of player they want, then you've got to take that opportunity."