Laidlaw to return to Scottish squad
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Laidlaw to return to Scottish squad
Scotland scrum-half Greig Laidlaw will return to the front-line before of a record Summer Test crowd this Saturday against Italy at Murrayfield.
The Gloucester half-back is one of 15 changes to the 25-man squad to face Italy in front of what will be the largest crowd for a Summer Test match at Murrayfield, overtaking the 2003 record set against Ireland (35,264) overnight.
The squad rotation means that almost an entirely new team could take to the field from that which overcame the Italians 16-12 in Turin, just two days before the 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup is announced.
Laidlaw is among six new faces available to the back division, with Glasgow Warriors' quartet Mark Bennett, Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell, and Tommy Seymour, and returning Harlequins' wing Tim Visser, all vying for a starting berth.
The nine changes to the pack feature two players yet to feature this summer – lock Jonny Gray and back-row Ryan Wilson – while the remainder return from the squad selected to face Ireland in the opening Test, namely John Barclay, Fraser Brown, Blair Cowan, David Denton, Rob Harley and Jon Welsh.
Lock Grant Gilchrist has recovered from the sickness that ruled him out of the Italy Test on the morning of the match and is available for selection this weekend, while a remaining nine – Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, Peter Horne, Sean Lamont, Stuart McInally, Willem Nel, Henry Pyrgos, Gordon Reid and Matt Scott – return to complete the squad.
The Gloucester half-back is one of 15 changes to the 25-man squad to face Italy in front of what will be the largest crowd for a Summer Test match at Murrayfield, overtaking the 2003 record set against Ireland (35,264) overnight.
The squad rotation means that almost an entirely new team could take to the field from that which overcame the Italians 16-12 in Turin, just two days before the 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup is announced.
Laidlaw is among six new faces available to the back division, with Glasgow Warriors' quartet Mark Bennett, Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell, and Tommy Seymour, and returning Harlequins' wing Tim Visser, all vying for a starting berth.
The nine changes to the pack feature two players yet to feature this summer – lock Jonny Gray and back-row Ryan Wilson – while the remainder return from the squad selected to face Ireland in the opening Test, namely John Barclay, Fraser Brown, Blair Cowan, David Denton, Rob Harley and Jon Welsh.
Lock Grant Gilchrist has recovered from the sickness that ruled him out of the Italy Test on the morning of the match and is available for selection this weekend, while a remaining nine – Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, Peter Horne, Sean Lamont, Stuart McInally, Willem Nel, Henry Pyrgos, Gordon Reid and Matt Scott – return to complete the squad.
