Scotland head coach Vern Cotter has made two changes both down to form rather than injury – for the final RBS 6 Nations match with Ireland on Saturday at BT Murrayfield.
The Kiwi has promoted two players from the bench to the starting XV, in British Lion Ryan Grant at loose-head prop and young back rower Adam Ashe at blindside flanker for Rob Harley.
It’s Grant’s first start for Scotland in a year, in the final match of the 2014 6 Nations in Cardiff last year. He missed the summer tours last year and was initially left out of the 6 Nations squad because of a court case alleging assault in a Glasgow kebab shop which was eventually found not proven.
Ashe started the first two tests in the autumn at No 8 impressing against both Argentina and New Zealand but suffered a neck injury which kept him out until the end of last month. He returned to the match day squad off the bench against England.
The Scots injury crisis – Cotter had said that as many as eight players were doubtful after the English defeat – has abated with chief worry Matt Scott fit to line up in the centre.
Scotland will be attempting to avoid their third 6 Nations whitewash in the last 10 years when they meet the defending champions, who have an outside chance of retaining the trophy if results go their way.
Scotland team: Stuart Hogg; Dougie Fife, Mark Bennett, Matt Scott, Tommy Seymour; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Ryan Grant, Ross Ford, Euan Murray; Jonny Gray, Jim Hamilton; Adam Ashe, Blair Cowan, David Denton.
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Alasdair Dickinson, Geoff Cross, Tom Swinson, Robert Harley, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Greig Tonks, Tim Visser.