Stafford McDowall Expresses Surprise and Determination for Scotland Captaincy

Stafford McDowall has expressed his determination to fully capitalize on the opportunity to captain Scotland in the upcoming Autumn Test against Portugal. He remarked that leading his country is an experience he believed he would never have, and one that might not recur. The match is scheduled for Saturday, 16 November, at Murrayfield, with a kick-off time of 15:10 GMT. Coverage will be available on BBC Radio Scotland and via live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. The Glasgow centre will be at the helm of a significantly altered Scottish squad, as Tom Jordan is the sole player retained in the starting lineup from the previous week’s loss to South Africa. With over 60,000 spectators anticipated at Murrayfield, McDowall conveyed his enthusiasm for the chance to lead his team onto the field. The 26-year-old stated, “It’s something that I didn’t think I’d have the chance to do.” He further added, “It is a dream come true to play for Scotland and start a game at Murrayfield, never mind lead the team out. So it’s hopefully something I’ll be able to take in and remember for the rest of my life.” He also commented on his evolving feelings, saying, “I think the closer we get to the game the more it’ll probably hit me and I’ll get a bit more nervous. It hit me a bit more when I had to do a bit more talking and stuff like that than the last couple of weeks.” Emphasizing the rarity of the occasion, McDowall remarked, “It’s something that I might never get a chance to do again, lead a Scotland team out at Murrayfield, so I’ll try and embrace and enjoy the moment.” Portugal suffered a defeat against the United States last weekend; however, McDowall anticipates that their performance at Murrayfield will more closely resemble their showing at last year’s World Cup, where they achieved a victory over Fiji, a draw with Georgia, and a narrow loss to Wales. McDowall commented on their opponents, stating, “I know they may have been a bit disappointed with the result last week, but we’re fully expecting a team that beat Fiji and pushed all the other teams in their group so close to rock up here.” He continued, “Obviously it’s a big occasion for a lot of us, but it’s a big occasion for them as well, getting to play here. So, we’re expecting a really tough test, a team that throws the ball around a lot with a lot of confidence, is good defensively as well.” He concluded by emphasizing the challenge and opportunity: “We’re under no illusion on how tough this is going to be. It’s a big opportunity for a lot of the guys coming in with some debuts as well.”