BBC: Georgia lined up to replace Japan in eight-team rugby autumn tournament

“Georgia are being lined up to replace Japan as one of Scotland's opponents in an eight-team tournament this autumn”, BBC Schotland’s Tom English reported.

He wrote on August 28 that Scotland had originally ‘pencilled in a warm-up’ rugby match against the Georgians at Murrayfield on October 24. 

However, they 'will seek another opponent for that date, with the Georgia match making up part of the eight nations tournament”.

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The tournament is scheduled to be held on four consecutive weekends between November 14 and December 5.

Scotland will also host France at Murrayfield and face Italy in Rome; England, Wales, Ireland and Fiji will be in the other section. 

Each team face their equivalent in the other pool on the final weekend, with the venue for those games to be decided”, the author wrote.

He stated as well that Scotland 'had agreed to face Japan in an autumn international before the coronavirus outbreak, but that Test match was to be folded into the new competition’.

Japan's coaching staff ‘have not been able to enter the country because of COVID-19 restrictions, hampering the side's preparations’.