Lawson handed Scottish armband

Rugby: Rory Lawson will captain Scotland for the first time in Saturday’s test against South Africa after Mike Blair was ruled…

Rugby:Rory Lawson will captain Scotland for the first time in Saturday's test against South Africa after Mike Blair was ruled out with concussion. Blair suffered a blow to the head in the first half of Scotland's 49-3 defeat to New Zealand last Saturday.

The scrumhalf has been ruled out of the Murrayfield meeting with the world champions, with Lawson taking his place as scrum-half and skipper.

Lawson missed the All Blacks clash with a hand injury but returns as one of four changes, with one positional switch, from the starting XV which began last weekend’s loss.

Nikki Walker comes in on the wing in place of Rory Lamont for his first start in two years, while Scott MacLeod has been selected at second row in place of Jim Hamilton.

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Leinster’s Nathan Hines has been selected at blindside flanker, with Kelly Brown switching to number eight and Richie Vernon dropping to the bench.

Scotland:H Southwell (Stade Francais); N Walker (Ospreys), M Evans (Glasgow Warriors), G Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), S Lamont (Scarlets); D Parks (Cardiff Blues), R Lawson (Gloucester); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), E Murray (Northampton), S MacLeod (Edinburgh), R Gray (Glasgow Warriors) N Hines (Leinster), K Brown (Saracens), J Barclay (Glasgow Warriors). Replacements:D Hall (Glasgow Warriors), M Low (Glasgow Warriors), R Vernon (Glasgow Warriors), R Rennie (Edinburgh), G Laidlaw (Edinburgh), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), C Paterson (Edinburgh).