John Barclay has won a recall to end a four-year Six nations exile along with centre Matt Scott in two changes to Scotland’s team for Saturday’s Calcutta Cup game against England at BT Murrayfield.
The 29-year-old flanker was omitted from the final squad for the Rugby World Cup and hasn’t played in the championship since the defeat to Italy in Rome in 2012. The former Glasgow Warrior and Dollar Academy pupil did play in the warm-up matches for last October’s tournament, scoring a try in the rout of Italy in his only start, but did not make the final cut. He will win his 44th cap on Saturday.
Barclay is one of two changes to the starting XV from the controversial narrow loss in the World Cup quarter-final against Australia, replacing Blair Cowan, who drops to the bench. The other change sees Matt Scott restored to the centre in place of the injured Peter Horne, with Mark Bennett having passed fitness tests in the last week after being out for a month with a shoulder injury.
Scotland coach Vern Cotter has freshened his bench, with young tight-head Zander Fagerson – who celebrated his 20th birthday only two weeks ago – included as well as Stuart McInally, converted from flanker to hooker in the last two seasons, and Saracens’ in-form Duncan Taylor, who can play centre, wing or full-back.
Scotland: S Hogg (Glasgow); S Maitland (London Irish), M Bennett (Glasgow), M Scott (Edinburgh), T Seymour (Glasgow); F Russell (Glasgow), G Laidlaw (Gloucester, capt); A Dickinson, R Ford, W P Nel (all Edinburgh); J Gray (Glasgow), R Gray (Castres); J Barclay (Scarlets), J Hardie (Edinburgh), D Denton (Bath).
Replacements: S McInally (Edinburgh), G Reid (Glasgow), Z Fagerson (Glasgow), T Swinson (Glasgow), B Cowan (London Irish), S Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh), D Weir (Glasgow), D Taylor (Saracens).