Former New Zealand Under-20 back-rower Hugh Blake will make his Scotland debut in Dublin on Saturday as Vern Cotter runs the rule over a distincly experimental XV in the first Rugby World Cup warm-up game against Ireland.
It’s hard to find an established first-choice player in the run-out team for the Aviva Stadium to mark the official launch of Scotland’s World Cup campaign, with the 22-year-old Blake a case in point.
Unveiled with great fanfare just before the ill-fated Six Nations campaign, the openside who won the World Under-20 Championship with the Baby Blacks in 2012 has started just one game in pro rugby since he arrived in Scotland, for Edinburgh against the Ospreys in March. After two more replacement appearances for the capital club, he was farmed out on loan to Glasgow but was unused there during their PRO12 championship run.
Yet head coach Vern Cotter has kept faith with him and continued to involve the former Highlander in his squads, giving him his first cap this weekend in an all-Southern Hemisphere-born back row with Blair Cowan and David Denton.
As previously announced Henry Pyrgos will skipper the side from scrum-half, but will be partnered by Greig Tonks at half-back, with Ruaridh Jackson – returning from nearly a year’s absence with a knee injury – starting at full back despite having made all his previous Scotland starts at fly-half.
A training injury to Tommy Seymour and a stomach bug for Stuart McInally mean they both drop out of the squad named on Tuesday, with Ross Ford and Matt Scott coming in, but only for the bench.
Sean Lamont will win his 94th cap on the wing, with Jim Hamilton getting his 62nd at lock, while Glasgow tighthead prop Mike Cusack is poised to win his first cap as a replacement.
Scotland team (vs Ireland, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Saturday 5pm)
Ruaridh Jackson (Wasps); Sean Lamont, Richie Vernon, Peter Horne (all Glasgow); Tim Visser (Harlequins); Greig Tonks (Edinburgh), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow, capt); R Grant, Fraser Brown (both Glasgow), Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons); Jim Hamilton (Saracens), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh); Blair Cowan (London Irish), Hugh Blake (Glasgow), David Denton (Edinburgh).
Replacements: Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Gordon Reid, Mike Cusack, Rob Harley (all Glasgow), John Barclay (Scarlets), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh), Duncan Weir (Glasgow), Matt Scott (Edinburgh).