Scotland names team for World Cup warm-up vs Italy

Vern Cotter has rung the changes as he names his Scotland team to take on Italy in the second of their World Cup warm-up games, in Turin this weekend.

There are 11 changes to the team that pushed Ireland hard in Dublin, with three players making their debut and two more potentially to come from the bench. Stuart McInally (hooker), John Hardie (flanker) and Rory Hughes (winger) all make their first appearances for Scotland, with Damien Hoyland and WP Nel to come from the bench.

Elsewhere, Grant Gilchrist captains the side alongside the familiar shaggy locks of Richie Gray in the engine room, while Adam Ashe and Alasdair Strokosch join debutant Hardie in the back row. Propping next to McInally are Gordon Reid and Mike Cusack, forming an inexperienced front row trio.

Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Duncan Weir are the new half-back partnership, with Greig Tonks shifting to the fullback shirt. Sean Lamont and Richie Vernon are similar survivors from last week, while Matt Scott returns at 12 and debutant Hughes is on the other wing.

South African prop WP Nel can make his debut from the bench, as can Edinburgh outside back Damien Hoyland. There is experience elsewhere on the timber, with familar faces Ross Ford, Alasdair Dickinson and Jim Hamilton joining Hamish Watson and Glasgow pair Henry Pyrgos and Peter Horne.

SCOTLAND TEAM TO PLAY ITALY

15 Greig Tonks (Edinburgh Rugby) – 5 caps
14 Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors) – 94 caps
13 Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors) – 21 caps
12 Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby) – 26 caps
11 Rory Hughes (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
10 Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors) – 18 caps
9 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby) – 6 caps

1 Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps
2 Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped
3 Mike Cusack (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap
4 Richie Gray (Castres) – 44 caps; 2 tries
5 Grant Gilchrist CAPTAIN (Edinburgh Rugby) – 9 caps
6 Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan) – 44 caps
7 John Hardie (unattached) – uncapped
8 Adam Ashe (Glasgow Warriors) – 5 caps

Replacements
16 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) – 86 caps
17 Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 44 caps
18 Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped
19 Jim Hamilton (Saracens) – 62 caps
20 Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 1 cap
21 Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) – 14 caps
22 Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps
23 Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped