Andy Robinson to put faith in tour victors

SCOTLAND coach Andy Robinson will today show faith in the core of the side which struck an historic first Test series victory in Argentina, but, in the switches he has made, also reveal a growing strength in depth in the national squad.

• All Blacks Hosea Gear, left, and Sonny Bill Williams walk back to their Edinburgh hotel after a recovery session at The Pleasance Picture: Getty

Changes have been enforced for Saturday's opening EMC Autumn Test against New Zealand due to injuries that rule out Simon Danielli, Alastair Kellock and Johnnie Beattie. The indications are that scrum-half Rory Lawson will also be left out, at least of the starting XV, after he suffered a further hand injury coming off the bench for Gloucester last week, having only just recovered from breaking a bone in the same hand.

Danielli's omission opens the door for Rory Lamont, the Toulon full-back, to return to the side on the wing for the first time since his knee injury against Wales in the RBS Six Nations Championship in February, while Richie Vernon will replace his Glasgow team-mate Beattie at No 8 and 21-year-old lock Richie Gray comes in for Kellock after fine displays for Glasgow. Those players will increase the pressure in the squad and certainly underline a new level of competition for places.

Robinson spoke last week of having one position he was still unsure about and while it seemed to be whether to hand Gray his first start, or leave him on the bench and restore the more experienced Nathan Hines, who missed the Argentina tour due to a family bereavement, the scrum-half position has been a taxing one.

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The coach said last week that he would only consider players fully fit and able to train from yesterday and with Lawson's hand still being too swollen to take part, Mike Blair's improved form this season has persuaded Robinson to give the Edinburgh man a first start under him. Blair is also tipped to be handed the captain's role after being co-captain last year alongside Chris Cusiter, who is out of action with a knee injury.

Robinson may now give Lawson more time to recover before taking up a bench spot, or turn to Edinburgh's Greig Laidlaw, the Scotland 'A' skipper who has performed well and pushed his case for a step-up to the full squad.

While the core will remain familiar, the make-up of the team to launch a much-anticipated autumn Test series - the SRU reported ticket sales had risen to over 50,000 for Saturday's fixture - is expected to change slightly through the three Test matches with Ruaridh Jackson, the Glasgow stand-off, another in line for a debut, as a number of players are put under pressure with the new attacking style of game ten months out from the 2011 World Cup.

Probable Scotland XV to face New Zealand: H Southwell; R Lamont, M Evans, G Morrison, S Lamont; D Parks, M Blair; A Jacobsen, R Ford, E Murray, J Hamilton, R Gray, K Brown, J Barclay, R Vernon.