Scotland name team for World Cup bow

Vern Cotter has named his first Scottish team of the World Cup for what promises to be an enormously interesting game at Kingsholm on Wednesday with giant-killers Japan lined up as opponents. Cotter has taken no chances and named a very strong lineup to face the Brave Blossoms.

Grant Gilchrist has beaten out Richie Gray for a spot in the second row, while Ryan Wilson is a surprise starter on the flank, with debutant Josh Strauss instead tapped to come in as a reserve. Greig Laidlaw captains the side at his club’s home ground, and Sean Lamont has fended off the challenges of Tim Visser and Sean Maitland to start on the wing to win his 98th cap for his country.

Scotland have defeated Japan in each of their four previous meetings, the last coming by a score of 42-17 at Murrayfield in November of 2013. The Brave Blossoms will be brimming with confidence after their remarkable victory on Saturday, but will be asked to step up once again to face Six Nations competition on only three days rest.

SCOTLAND
1 Alasdair Dickinson 2 Ross Ford 3 WP Nel 4 Grant Gilchrist 5 Jonny Gray 6 Ryan Wilson 7 John Hardie 8 David Denton 9 Greig Laidlaw (capt.) 10 Finn Russell 11 Sean Lamont 12 Matt Scott 13 Mark Bennett 14 Tommy Seymour 15 Stuart Hogg

16 Fraser Brown 17 Ryan Grant 18 Jon Welsh 19 Richie Gray 20 Josh Strauss 21 Henry Pyrgos 22 Peter Horne 23 Sean Maitland