Scotland squad fully behind Townsend - Tuipulotu

The Scotland squad remains entirely behind Gregor Townsend as pressure builds on the head coach after a disappointing Autumn Nations Series, according to captain Sione Tuipulotu.

After an 85-0 drubbing of the USA, Scotland were edged out by New Zealand and denied an historic first win over the All Blacks, and then collapsed from 21-0 up against Argentina to lose 33-24.

Before the final match of the series against Tonga at Murrayfield on Sunday, Townsend has batted away questions on whether, after eight years in the job, it is time for a change.

And Tuipulotu, speaking to the media on Saturday, threw his support behind the head coach.

"I don't think I've ever stood in front of you guys and not spoken honestly," Tuipulotu said. "When you guys ask me questions, I've always given you my honest answer. My honest answer is, I'm fully behind my head coach, and so are all the players.

"I take a lot of accountability for what happened on the weekend [against Argentina]. I'm the captain of the team.

"Gregor is not down there playing rugby. He's put us in a position to get up 21 points and I take accountability as the captain for the reason that maybe we let that lead slide.

"We didn't execute against New Zealand. I think it's more of a players thing for me, because I'm down on the field, I'm out there being able to influence the situation along with all the other players.

"So I stand in front of you all here and speak honestly that I'm fully behind Gregor. I still believe he's the man for the job in what we can achieve leading into the World Cup."

Tuipulotu made his Scotland debut four years ago against Tonga and says playing an opposition that means so much to him – his father is Tongan – has helped him refocus and move on after the disappointment of going down to the Pumas.

"It's a massive game for me," said the Glasgow Warriors centre. "It feels like in one game I get to represent who I am.

"I think that's one of the things that have kind of centred me this week. I'm not going to lie to you and say that I wasn't hurting a lot. There's no one hurting more than the playing group.

"But just looking back at the last four years of my career has centred me a little bit and knowing how far I've come, to sit in front of you guys here as the captain.

"I think that the most important thing about being a captain is there's going to be really good times. A year ago I sat in front of you after we beat Australia.

"You feel amazing about yourself and you're probably the first one to get the pat on the back when you're sitting up here as the captain and I don't have any problem being the first one to cop the blame either.

"I think that's what the last week has showed me is that's what being a leader is. When it doesn't go right you're in the first line because ultimately you run the team out there and I didn't do a good enough job of that against Argentina. I'm not hiding away from that at all.

"So that thought of playing Tonga again, four years after my debut, is something that's really brought me back to centre, knowing how far I've come and how far the team's come as well."