EX-TAUNTON Titans player Sam Skinner put in another big shift for Scotland in the Autumn Internationals, playing the first 73 minutes of the match with South Africa at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Exeter Chiefs forward Skinner, who spent the 2013/14 season with Taunton, lined up in the back row alongside Hamish Watson and Ryan Wilson for what was his second Scotland start.

Despite a thrilling try from Peter Horne, South Africa's power and control at the breakdown proved too much for the Scots, beaten 26-20 for their first home defeat in a year.

Ben Moon, another former Taunton Titans player who is now at Exeter, was a second-half replacement for England against Japan at Twickenham.

Prop Moon entered the fray in the 49th minute, with England in trouble – 15-10 behind and lucky only to be five points down.

But the hosts managed to wrestle control away from Japan, and tries from Mark Wilson, Joe Cokanasiga and Dylan Hartley handed them a 35-15 win.