Kinghorn embraces Scotland's No.15 battle as World Cup countdown begins in earnest

Blair Kinghorn has welcomed the fierce competition for Scotland’s No.15 jersey, arguing that being dropped for the opening two matches of this year’s Six Nations ultimately made him a better player and the squad stronger heading into the November Nations Championship block.

The 29-year-old Toulouse full-back was left out of Gregor Townsend’s matchday 23 for Scotland’s first two Six Nations fixtures before forcing his way back in for the wins over Wales and France and the final match against Ireland — his 68th cap. He is now targeting a starting berth against New Zealand after a summer away from international duty.

“It’s always tough if you’re not playing,” Kinghorn said. “Everyone wants to play, especially at the start of tournaments and big games. But if you’re not playing well enough, you’re not playing well enough. And that’s the great thing about having competition in the squad — if you’re not playing well, you’re out.”

Kinghorn was candid about the emotional reality of being dropped. “You’re always pissed off. No-one’s ever happy not playing. And that’s a good thing. You want everyone to be competitive, you want everyone to be fighting for that place.”

His response was to return to club rugby and perform. The day after missing Scotland’s Calcutta Cup win over England, he featured for Toulouse in a victory away at Stade Français. “Then Gregor thought I’d played well enough and I managed to start the last three games in succession,” he said. “You’ve got to just be playing at a high level. If you’re not, you’ve got to accept that you won’t be playing. That’s good that the coaches do that. It makes it healthier in the squad.”

Since Stuart Hogg’s international retirement before the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Kinghorn has been Townsend’s primary full-back option when fit, starting 19 of Scotland’s last 39 Tests. Kyle Rowe, Tom Jordan, Harry Paterson and Ollie Smith have all worn the 15 jersey in that period, underlining the depth Townsend now has at his disposal.

Kinghorn joined Toulouse from Edinburgh in December 2023 and has since been part of a side chasing an unprecedented fifth consecutive Top 14 title — one that would surpass the club’s own famous four-in-a-row run in the 1990s across 134 years of French championship history.

“Every time that you’re playing for Toulouse, there’s a massive expectation that you’re going to win,” he said. “It’s almost like if you don’t win anything, it’s a failure of a season for sure. And if you don’t make a final, it’s definitely a failure of a season. The expectations and the high demand that all the coaches and the players have on each other is that you’ve got to win something at the end of the year for it to be successful.”

With the 2025 Rugby World Cup on the horizon, Scotland’s growing depth in the back three appears to be a source of confidence rather than anxiety for Kinghorn — even if it cost him his starting place earlier this year.