Gray starts for Scots against Argentina

By Mark Stevens
30/6/22

Exeter Chiefs lock Jonny Gray will start for Scotland when they tackle Argentina in the first match of their upcoming Test series this Saturday (8.10pm).

The 28-year-old forward is set to win his 68th cap for his country, packing down in the second row alongside Grant Gilchrist, who will captain his country in the absence of Exeter Chiefs star Stuart Hogg, who is being rested for the series.

The occasion will mark an already memorable year in the dark blue jersey for Gilchrist having made his 50th Scotland appearance in February against Wales.

In the back row, Luke Crosbie is named following his stint as captain of Scotland A against Chile last weekend. He will start alongside fellow Edinburgh Rugby flanker Magnus Bradbury. Glasgow Warriors’ back-rower Matt Fagerson will once again start at number eight.

Pierre Schoeman was named on the bench against Chile and he has been promoted to the starting line-up alongside Warriors’ prop Zander Fagerson. George Turner will also start the game having arrived in South America a little later than the full squad, having recovered from illness.

Ali Price and Blair Kinghorn will start as the 9 and 10 pairing for the second consecutive occasion having played together against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in March. Duhan van der Merwe missed the last two games of the Guinness Six Nations through suspension and he makes his return to the starting line-up. In his last Scotland appearance he scored a try against France at BT Murrayfield. Darcy Graham will occupy the other flank.

Mark Bennett will start his first Scotland game since 2016 when he played against Georgia at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock. His inclusion tops off an impressive last month where he was named as Edinburgh Rugby’s Player of the Season. He will partner Glasgow Warriors centre Sam Johnson.

At full-back Rory Hutchison will start the game with his last appearance coming in 2020 when he came off the bench against Italy. The versatile back has been in top form for Northampton Saints this season.

On the bench, Sale Sharks’ hooker Ewan Ashman will aim to make his first Scotland appearance since the 2021 Autumn Tests, while Rory Sutherland is also included after missing much of the Six Nations through injury.

London Irish scrum-half Ben White is included as replacement scrum-half, with fellow half-back Ross Thompson also named on the bench. Sam Skinner, who joins Edinburgh Rugby for the new season from Exeter Chiefs, is also selected as a replacement alongside Javan Sebastian and Sione Tuipulotu – who both featured in the Scotland A match against Chile.

SCOTLAND TEAM TO FACE ARGENTINA

15. Rory Hutchinson - Northampton Saints - 5 caps
14. Darcy Graham - Edinburgh Rugby - 27 caps
13. Mark Bennett - Edinburgh Rugby - 24 caps
12. Sam Johnson - Glasgow Warriors - 24 caps
11. Duhan van der Merwe - Worcester Warriors - 16 caps
10. Blair Kinghorn - Edinburgh Rugby - 31 caps
9. Ali Price - Glasgow Warriors - 51 caps
1. Pierre Schoeman - Edinburgh Rugby - 9 caps
2. George Turner - Glasgow Warriors - 25 caps
3. Zander Fagerson - Glasgow Warriors - 47 caps
4. Grant Gilchrist - Edinburgh Rugby - (capt) - 53 caps
5. Jonny Gray - Exeter Chiefs - 67 caps
6. Magnus Bradbury - Edinburgh Rugby - 18 caps
7. Luke Crosbie - Edinburgh Rugby - 1 cap
8. Matt Fagerson - Glasgow Warriors - 21 caps

16. Ewan Ashman - Sale Sharks - 2 caps
17. Rory Sutherland - Worcester Warriors - 18 caps
18. Javan Sebastian - Scarlets - 1 cap
19. Sam Skinner - Exeter Chiefs - 20 caps
20. Rory Darge - Glasgow Warriors - 4 caps
21. Ben White - London Irish - 4 caps
22. Ross Thompson - Glasgow Warriors - 1 cap
23. Sione Tuipulotu - Glasgow Warriors - 5 caps