Scotland look set to cap imports WP Nel and John Hardie among six new faces in the squad for the first of a World Cup warm-up doubleheader against Italy at Turin this weekend.
South African-born Nel qualifies through completing a three-year residency period while Hardie, co-opted into the squad at the end of the southern hemisphere Super Rugby season, is eligible as a result of his Scottish-born grandmother.
There are also uncapped players in backs Damien Hoyland and Rory Hughes, while Kevin Bryce and Stuart McInally are set for their first Scotland action.
Head coach Vern Cotter has rotated his personnel with nine players dropping out of the forwards that played against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, including Scotland’s top performer David Denton, but there are only two change sin the back division, Hoyland and Hughes coming in for Dougie Fife and Tim Visser.
There’s still no sign of several front-line players for warm-up action, including first choice half backs Greig Laidlaw and Finn Russell, full back Stuart Hogg, centre Mark Bennett and lock Jonny Gray. Scotland play the Italians at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday at 7pm, and then host the Azzuri back at Murrayfield on August 29, before the final cut to 31 players for the World Cup squad is made on September 1.
Grant Gilchrist, originally selected as captain for last year’s November tests before he broke his arm, gets the skipper’s duties again ahead of last Saturday’s captain Henry Pyrgos.
Backs: Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby), Rory Hughes (Glasgow Warriors), Ruaridh Jackson (Wasps), Sean Lamont, Henry Pyrgos (both Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott, Greig Tonks (both Edinburgh Rugby), Richie Vernon, Duncan Weir (both Glasgow Warriors),
Forwards: Adam Ashe, Kevin Bryce, Mike Cusack (all Glasgow Warriors), Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, Grant Gilchrist CAPTAIN (all Edinburgh Rugby), Richie Gray (Castres), Jim Hamilton (Saracens), John Hardie (unattached), Stuart McInally, Willem Nel (both Edinburgh Rugby), Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors), Alasdair Strokosch (Perpigan), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby).