Scrumhalf Mike Blair has been named captain for Scotland’s opening autumn international against New Zealand at Murrayfield on Saturday.
With Alastair Kellock injured, Glasgow’s Richie Gray came into the secondrow for his first start, one of five changes to the starting XV from Scotland’s last Test five months ago, the 13-9 win over Argentina in June.
Blair assumes the number nine jersey from Rory Lawson, who was named on the bench, with wing Rory Lamont, prop Euan Murray and number eight Richie Vernon also named in the starting line-up.
SCOTLAND (v New Zealand):H Southwell (Stade Francais); R Lamont (Toulon), M Evans (Glasgow Warriors), G Morrison (Glasgow), S Lamont (Scarlets); D Parks (Cardiff Blues), M Blair (Edinburgh); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), E Murray (Northampton), R Gray (Glasgow) J Hamilton (Gloucester), K Brown (Saracens), R Vernon (Glasgow Warriors), J Barclay (Glasgow).
Replacements:S Lawson (Gloucester), A Dickinson (Gloucester), N Hines (Leinster), R Rennie (Edinburgh), R Lawson (Gloucester), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow), N Walker (Ospreys).