Grant Gilchrist to captain Scotland against Canada

Edinburgh lock Grant Gilchrist will captain Scotland against Canada at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton this Saturday in the absence of injured hooker Stuart McInally.

McInally has failed to recover sufficiently from the calf strain he sustained on the eve of the squad’s departure for the summer tour, meaning clubmate Gilchrist – who captained Scotland against Argentina and South Africa on the 2014 tour – will skipper the side.

Head Coach Gregor Townsend has selected two debutants for the match, with Edinburgh flanker Jamie Ritchie and Harlequins centre James Lang set to earn their first senior international honours in the opening Test of the 2018 Summer Tour.

Ritchie and Lang are two of four potential debutants named to face the Canadians, with Edinburgh forward Lewis Carmichael joined on the bench by Glasgow Warriors stand-off Adam Hastings.

Scotland team to play Canada 

15. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 2 caps

14. Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps
13. Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons) – 2 caps
12. James Lang (Harlequins) – uncapped
11. Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks) – 3 caps

10. Ruaridh Jackson VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 32 caps
9. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Scarlets) – 9 caps

1. Allan Dell (Edinburgh) – 10 caps
2. Fraser Brown VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 31 caps
3. Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 8 caps
4. Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) – 9 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist CAPTAIN (Edinburgh) – 22 caps
6. Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh) – 2 caps
7. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – uncapped
8. David Denton (Leicester Tigers) – 39 caps

Substitutes

16. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 2 caps
17. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps
18. Murray McCallum (Edinburgh) – 1 cap
19. Lewis Carmichael (Edinburgh) – uncapped
20. Luke Hamilton (unattached) – 1 cap
21. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 16 caps
22. Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
23. Mark Bennett (Edinburgh) – 20 caps