CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Rookie flyhalf Adam Hastings can handle the pressure, says Scotland captain Stuart McInally.
Wales coach Warren Gatland made a note of Hastings — the son of Scotland great Gavin Hastings — in the buildup to their rugby test on Saturday in Cardiff.
Gatland not surprisingly put a target on Hastings' back when he said, "We have got to make sure we put as much pressure on him as we possibly can."
Hastings will claim only his fourth cap for Scotland, after previous appearances in June on the tour of Canada, the United States, and Argentina.
He's starting because Racing 92 flyhalf Finn Russell was unavailable for the match outside the normal test window.
McInally wasn't fazed.
"Adam's been playing really well for Glasgow. Since he's come on the scene he's been earning his stripes," McInally said on Friday. "He played very well on the summer tour, especially in that last game against Argentina.
"We're really excited to see him play. He works very hard on his game and he's got a lot of confidence that he can go out and express himself. In training he's been very vocal as well, which is important for a 10."
Scotland hasn't won in Cardiff since 2002, losing its last nine visits, including a 34-7 defeat in February.
"That game we started poorly," McInally said. "Wales played really well that day and we weren't at our best.
"When they get the crowd behind them here they're a very hard team to beat. But we've got our strategy in place that we think we can come here and win."
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.
