Jonny and big brother Richie Gray
Second-row brothers Richie and Jonny Gray will play their first international game of rugby together this Saturday, following their selection to start for Scotland against Argentina at BT Murrayfield Stadium (8 November, kick-off 17:30 BST & GMT, 19:30 SA Time).
Selection represents a second start for the younger Gray, 20, who will make his sixth appearance for his country alongside his 39-times capped, 25-year-old, British & Irish Lions sibling.
Gray is not the only promising young player to earn the right to start the nation’s opening viagogo Autumn Test, with 21-year-old Glasgow Warriors Mark Bennett and Adam Ashe set to make their first and second appearances at outside-centre and number 8 respectively.
An exciting package of pace and guile, Bennett – a product of St Joseph’s Academy in Kilmarnock, Cumnock RFC and Ayr RFC – has been in fine form for the Warriors and Scotland 7s this year, and will be Scotland’s 1062nd capped internationalist when he crosses the paint for his debut at BT Murrayfeld.
SRU
Head coach Vern Cotter, said: “We’ve been studying these players since the start of the season and have selected a group we believe can do the job in this Saturday’s Test match against Argentina. We have several performance-related themes, and have looked for people who have the ability to control games, take initiative, can pick up the ball and run with it, who like physical confrontation and can keep the ball alive.
“These are things that we have prioritised in our selection and we’re now all looking forward to getting out there and putting in a good performance in front of the Scottish people on Saturday.”
On debutant Mark Bennett, Cotter added: “I really appreciate what Mark has done because he has been very patient and has been developing his performances week in, week out for Glasgow Warriors.
“Patience and working hard is what you want from your players.
“You can see his determination in the way he breaks the line and scores tries. I’m really pleased he’s developed that over the last couple of years and will now make his debut for his country, which is a very special achievement.”
Scotland selection
The Gray brothers will pack down behind an experienced front-row trio of Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford and Euan Murray, who share a total of 173 caps going into the game.
The forwards are then completed by a new-look, back-row combination, with flankers Rob Harley and Blair Cowan forming a unit with Ashe for the first time.
In the backs, all but one player – captain Greig Laidlaw – have been picked from Glasgow Warriors’ attacking stable, with Finn Russell the half-back partner at stand-off, and Alex Dunbar starting alongside Bennett in midfield.
An exciting back-three completes the side, with Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland and Tommy Seymour in the wide channels seeking to bring their club’s prolific form onto the international stage.
With one debutant, Bennett, among four – Ashe, Cowan and Russell – preparing to make their first appearance on home soil, Cotter reaffirmed his willingness to empower his men’s attack.
He added: “There is a genuine desire for this squad and those selected for the Test to play well for the jersey.
“When the players run out they’ll do it with a lot of pride and a lot of respect.
“There will be a common cause to have the confidence to attack and take the initiative against Argentina, which is arguably the most improved country in the world. We’ll try and put a cohesive effort out there technically and tactically, but I can assure you the players are, emotionally, very attached and are working extra hard to put in a good performance.
“So let’s be strong, let’s be passionate as we always are; play for the people that come to the stadium and the Scots in this country and around the world.”
Scotland’s viagogo Autumn Test campaign gets underway at BT Murrayfield this Saturday against Argentina (8 November, kick-off 5.30pm), before facing Rugby Championship winners New Zealand, at the same venue (15 November), followed by Tonga at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock (22 November).
Scotland Team:
15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors); 24 caps
14 Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors); 13 caps
13 Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors); uncapped
12 Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors); 8 caps
11 Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors); 10 caps
10 Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors); 2 caps
9 Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester); 31 caps
8 Adam Ashe (Glasgow Warriors); 1 cap
7 Blair Cowan (London Irish); 3 caps
6 Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors); 7 caps
5 Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors); 5 caps
4 Richie Gray (Castres); 39 caps
3 Euan Murray (Glasgow Warriors); 60 caps
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby); 77 caps
1 Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby); 36 caps
Replacements:
16 Scott Lawson (Gloucester); 45 caps
17 Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors); 3 caps
18 Geoff Cross (London Irish); 32 caps
19 Jim Hamilton (Saracens); 56 caps
20 Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan); 40 caps
21 Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors); 12 caps
22 Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors); 15 caps
23 Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors); 88 caps
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
Assistant Referees: George Clancy (IRFU), Marius Mitrea (FIR)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
Well done Mark Bennett on getting his debut selection, a really good player I think who makes lots of ground with quick breaks through the gaps and who has improved his distribution as well and is not a bad tackler too. He has also taken long kicks at posts but think this won’t happen in this test as Laidlaw should be the kicker for the shorter ones and probably turn to Hogg for the longer ones, then on the bench Weir will probably take over the kicking duties at some point should be brought on and Laidlaw is subbed off for Pyrgos.
An indication of the relative strength of Glasgow Warriors at the moment in that the whole starting backline outside of scrumhalf play for Glasgow as do all three backline subs.
The Gray pairing running out together at lock for Scotland has been spoken about for the last few seasons over here, before Jonny Gray even started playing professionally. Hopefully they have good games and we’ll see many more from them.
Two of the players who are not in the team for this weekend sharing their thoughts last week on the upcoming tests, can only think that they both have some injury niggles as if fit would have thought at the very least they would be on the bench:
Hoping for a win for Scotland by any margin, doubt it could ever match the one below, that Scotland team won the 5 Nations completing the Triple Crown and Grand Slam on the way that year and no doubt Argentina have come on a lot since then :
Head coach Vern Cotter speaking a few weeks ago on the original squad selection:
An insight into Scotland’s preparations ahead of the tests:
Have just updated the team sheet as Saracens Jim Hamilton is on the bench for Scotland instead of Tim Swinson.
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