Scotland have included 17 uncapped players in a 37-man squad for Test matches against England A, Romania and Georgia this summer.
Assistant Mike Blair takes interim charge with head coach Gregor Townsend part of the British and Irish Lions’ staff for the tour of South Africa.
Eight Scotland players are also unavailable because of Lions duty.
Edinburgh’s Jamie Ritchie – one of six players in the squad with more than 20 caps – will captain Scotland.
“It’s taken a fair bit of time, and as an interim head coach I’m starting to realise the amount of work that Gregor does,” Blair said.
“I’m really happy with the squad we’ve managed to put together. We’re really excited by the amount of young players coming through. To get eight players on the Lions tour is fantastic and they’ve thoroughly deserved that.
“The knock-on effect is we get the chance to look at the players below them at the moment and get them pushing for places, so when the Lions come back there’s real competition going again.”
Of the uncapped players, Glasgow Warriors quartet Rory Darge, Jamie Dobie, Rufus McLean and Ross Thompson, Edinburgh pair Luke Crosbie and Charlie Shiel, as well as Bath’s Josh Bayliss and Ewan Ashman of Sale Sharks have previously received a Scotland call-up.
The newcomers are Glasgow trio Sione Tuipulotu, Kiran McDonald and Cole Forbes, Jack Blain and Jamie Hodgson of Edinburgh, Northampton Saints’ Nick Auterac, Javan Sebastian of Scarlets, Robin Hislop of Doncaster Knights, and Leicester Tigers’ Cameron Henderson.
The 37-man squad will meet 12 days prior to the England A away game on 27 June, with a smaller pool then travelling to face Romania and Georgia on 10 and 17 July respectively.
Blair also confirmed that some experienced players such as Fraser Brown, Stuart McInally, and Jonny Gray have been given the summer off after a long season.
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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