Fiji vs Scotland Prediction: Murrayfield comforts to pay off for Scots

Fiji and Scotland complete this stage of the Nations Championship on Saturday afternoon with a tussle at Murrayfield (14:10 BST, ITV/STV).

Below are my Fiji vs Scotland predictions, as well as all the essential team news and match odds for the clash in Edinburgh.

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Fiji are the designated home team but their UK residency has already consisted of games in Cardiff and Liverpool and they will now run out in the Scottish capital against Gregor Townsend's in-form side.

The Nations Championship takes a pause after this weekend until November and Scotland will be aiming to complete a satisfactory summer with a handsome home victory.

Fiji vs Scotland Odds

Fiji are the designated home side but the Pacific Islanders are 6/1 to win on Scottish soil. The Scots are 1/9 for a Murrayfield success, with the draw priced at 33/1. Scotland are 10/11 conceding an 18-point start.

Team News

Fiji hand a debut to centre Virimi Vakatawa, reviving his international career after 32 caps for France, with the 36-year-old now meeting World Rugby's eligibility rules to switch national teams.

He replaces Kalaveti Ravouvou from the team that lost 73-8 defeat against England at the Hill Dickinson Stadium last weekend. Simione Kuruvoli is banned after being sent off against England and is replaced at scrum-half by Frank Lomani in the only other Fijian change.

Scotland make 14 changes from their defeat to South Africa, with Gregor Brown the only player retained as he shifts from lock to number eight.

Stafford McDowall captains the side and is partnered in the centres by Glasgow Warriors teammate Ollie Smith. George Horne and Fergus Burke start as the half-backs, while Duhan van der Merwe, Darcy Graham and Tom Jordan combine as a strong back three.

Gregor Hiddleston makes his first Scotland start at hooker following impressive cameos against Argentina and the Springboks, with Rory Sutherland and D'Arcy Rae alongside. Josh Bayliss and Test debutant Freddy Douglas join Brown in the scrum, with Jonny Gray and Max Williamson in the second row.

Scotland -18 @ 10/11

The last time the sides met at Murrayfield was in November 2024 when Scotland produced a clinical performance to secure a 57-17.

This Scotland team is a stronger all-round unit and they now meet a Fijian side that was thrashed 73-8 by England in Liverpool a week ago.

Scotland scored seven tries in Argentina a fortnight ago and showed some tremendous fighting spirit against the world champions last week, roaring back into the Durban contest before the Boks secured their win with a late Jesse Kriel try.

Townsend says the "goal was that everybody was going to play in this tour" and so he has made wholesale changes to his starting XV.

Bringing in the likes of van der Merwe and Graham points to plenty of try-scoring potential for Scotland. With a shock loss when these sides met last summer fresh in the memory, Scotland will be keen to exact some revenge here and they should cover the handicap.