Scotland head coach Scott Johnson has named a 13-man squad of backs from which he will finalise selection for the final game of the RBS 6 Nations Championship against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.

Injuries sustained in last weekend’s match against France have meant that Johnson will consider his options at training today and tomorrow before confirming the make-up of his back division and bench.

Meanwhile, among the forwards, the only change to the eight which started the French Test sees Ryan Wilson restored to the back-row in place of the injured Johnnie Beattie, with the experienced Alasdair Strokosch returning to provide cover on the bench.

Prop Alasdair Dickinson, has recovered from the calf injury he sustained in Rome last month, and also returns to the substitutes.

Johnson explained: “We’re obviously already without Sean Lamont in the backs after the knee problem he picked up against France.

“We’ve also got some concerns about our wingers, Tommy (Seymour) and Max (Evans) and we’re going to wait until tomorrow to see how they are.”

Options then could see Jack Cuthbert, the 26-year-old Edinburgh Rugby back, who won his only cap to date in the 2011 Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Ireland, return to the fray.

Cuthbert, Fife or Jones?

Cuthbert made a strong impression in the Scotland A draw with England Saxons at Scotstoun in January, as did his Edinburgh Rugby team-mate Dougie Fife.

Fife, 23, uncapped, a product of Firrhill High School in Edinburgh and the Boroughmuir and Currie clubs, is unbeaten in two games for Scotland A against England Saxons and has scored ten tries for Edinburgh Rugby in 41 appearances.

Then there is Lee Jones, whose last cap was against Ireland two years ago, but has been revitalised after involvement with Scotland 7s on the HSBC Sevens World Series and his loan spell with Glasgow Warriors, including a fine individual try against the Blues in Cardiff.

Scotland (sponsor RBS) to play Wales in the RBS 6 Nations Championship at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Saturday 15 March, kick-off 2.45pm

Backs from

Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors) 67 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
Jack Cuthbert (Edinburgh Rugby) 1 cap
Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) 7 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
Max Evans (Castres) 41 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
Dougie Fife (Edinburgh Rugby) uncapped
Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) 19 caps, 4 tries, 20 points
Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors)23 caps, 3 conversions, 2 penalties, 2 drop-goals, 18 points
Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 4 caps, 1 try, 5 points
Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby) 28 caps, 3 tries, 25 conversions, 58 penalties, 239 points
Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby) 20 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
Duncan Taylor (Saracens) 9 caps
Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors) 20 caps
Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors) 12 caps, 1 try, 3 conversions, 1 penalty, 1 drop-goal, 17 points

Not considered due to injury: Nick De Luca (Edinburgh Rugby)

Forwards

1 Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors) 17 caps
2 Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons) 42 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
3 Geoff Cross (Edinburgh Rugby) 27 caps, 1 try, 5 points
4 Richie Gray (Castres) 36 caps, 1 try, 5 points
5 Jim Hamilton (Montpellier) 54 caps, 1 try, 5 points
6 Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) 8 caps
7 Kelly Brown (Saracens) captain 62 caps, 4 tries, 20 points
8 David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby) 21 caps

Substitutes

16 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) 74 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
17 Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby) 33 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
18 Euan Murray (Worcester Warriors) 58 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
19 Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) 6 caps
20 Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan) 37 caps, 2 tries, 10 points

This article was posted on 12-Mar-2014, 13:17 by Hugh Barrow.