Scotland name nine uncapped players

Scotland have included nine uncapped players in a squad of 31 for next month’s quadrangular international tournament in South Africa.
The event will see double-header internationals played on three successive weekends in Durban, Nelspruit and Pretoria for the first time and will also involve the hosts, plus Italy and Samoa.
The ground-breaking matches take on added significance as both South Africa and Samoa are in Scotland‘s pool at the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.
The Scotland squad comprises 14 players currently with Glasgow Warriors, who play in the RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final against Leinster this Saturday.
The nine potential newcomers are, in the pack, Steven Lawrie, his fellow hooker Pat MacArthur and lock Tim Swinson.
Meanwhile Glasgow Warriors’ quartet Alex Dunbar, Peter Horne, Peter Murchie and Tommy Seymour, full-back Greig Tonks and wing Duncan Taylor will hope to get their first cap in the back line.
Lawrie, Swinson, Dunbar, Tonks and try-scorer Taylor were part of the Scotland A squad that defeated England Saxons courageously 13-9 in Newcastle in February .
Scotland head coach Scott Johnson said: “First up, it’s a strong squad designed to win Test matches against quality opposition.
“We’ve continued to monitor the players’ form closely and we’ve been pleased that Glasgow have reached the knockout stages of the Rabo.
“We are taking the opportunity to have a look at some players and want to assess what they’re like at this level. We need to be able to find out whether players who’ve done the business for their clubs can replicate that form in international footy.
“We also want to enable certain players who are known to us – for example Nick De Luca and Max Evans – to have the sort of off-season physical preparation that they’ve not had for a few years because of the demands of touring schedules.”
The Scotland squad will convene on Monday 27 May for a three day training camp in Perthshire and the Highlands before flying out to South Africa on Friday 31 May.
Scotland squad:
Backs: Alex Dunbar, Peter Horne, Ruaridh Jackson, Sean Lamont, Peter Murchie, Henry Pyrgos, Tommy Seymour (all Glasgow Warriors), Tom Heathcote (Bath Rugby), Greig Laidlaw, Matt Scott, Greig Tonks, Tim Visser (all Edinburgh Rugby), Duncan Taylor (Saracens).
Forwards: John Barclay, Ryan Grant, Alastair Kellock, Moray Low, Pat MacArthur, Tim Swinson, Ryan Wilson (all Glasgow Warriors), Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier), Kelly Brown (Saracens, Capt.), Geoff Cross, David Denton, Ross Ford, Grant Gilchrist, Steven Lawrie (all Edinburgh Rugby), Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester Rugby), Euan Murray (Worcester Warriors), Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan).