Jim Thompson wins Scots call as Nathan Hines given leave

JIM Thompson is the sole uncapped player to be selected for this summer's Scotland tour to Argentina as Andy Robinson sticks with the core of his Six Nations squad in his bid for a first South America double.

The coach named a 27-man squad yesterday with another to be announced next week for Scotland A's defence of the IRB Nations Cup in Romania, which also takes place next month. He insisted that he wanted a small enough tour party for Argentina to give every player an opportunity to play in the two Tests, in Tucuman on Saturday, 12 June and Mar Del Plata on 19 June, but also left the door open for Nathan Hines, who has been afforded compassionate leave.

The 33-year-old lock will head back down under once his commitments with Leinster are concluded this month to be with his wife Leann and son Josh, who are spending time helping Leann's mother in Australia through a serious illness. When Scotland toured South America two years ago, Hines did not make the trip as his club Perpignan insisted he finished the season with them. However, Robinson insisted that he would be keen to join the tour if that proved possible.

"Nathan is going home to support his wife as his mother-in-law has been ill," he said. "He needs that time away and I'm giving him that time. The fact that I've only announced 27 is for Nathan to come to Argentina from Australia if there is scope for that to happen."

If he does not make it, and Robinson was to suffer injury to one of the three locks kept from the win over Ireland – Al Kellock, Jim Hamilton and Richie Gray – then Scott MacLeod would be flown to South America.

Injury keeps Rory Lamont and Chris Paterson out of contention – Paterson is not fully recovered from a serious kidney injury – while Ben Cairns is a notable absentee. The Edinburgh centre has lost out in selection to Alex Grove, who could be on his way from Worcester to Edinburgh this summer if the relegated English club were to sanction his release.

Cairns is likely to form a key part of the senior player group within the Scotland 'A' squad that heads to Romania, Robinson insisting that he was viewing next month's matches with Japan, Argentina and three 'A' games as a whole.

"One of the key aspects for us is that everybody gets an opportunity in these six matches. We could have taken 30 or 32 players (to Argentina] but a lot of these guys probably wouldn't play, so we've gone with 27 to ensure as many as possible are involved either on the bench or starting.

"I can't guarantee that, but that's why I've taken a smaller squad, and I will be involving all three scrum-halves in the squad."

On the make-up of the tour squad, he said: "It's based on the 22 we had in Ireland and there are five additions, an extra scrum-half, with Rory (Lawson] playing very well for Gloucester. Jim Thompson has been in and out of the Edinburgh side all year with injury but we see the real potential he has and he'll be pushing for a spot at full-back.

"Al Strokosch was involved in the Six Nations and I think he's a quality performer. Moray Low, who started the Six Nations, got injured and is back in now and playing well for Glasgow, and the final one is Alex Grove. So it is based around a settled squad."

Robinson is bringing the players together on 30 May and, with a clutch of specialist coaches and psychologist Richard Cox on board, is viewing the following three weeks as a key period with which to re-attune the players to his way of playing.

He resisted the suggestion that it was part of planning for the World Cup, now less than 16 months away, though it plays a part in forming a squad that will face the Pumas and England in New Zealand in 2011. He stated: "The World Cup is still a long, long way away and it will take care of itself, but we were really disappointed not to win the game in November and we have got two opportunities now.

"This is about winning a Test match and performing better than we did in that game, and about getting consistency of performance after beating Ireland. It's also an opportunity for the team to do something special in Argentina. Scotland have only won two Tests in Argentina out of nine and we're going there to win back-to-back Test matches and that will be a key statement for us.

"We want a core of players that will form the heart of selections over the next year, so it's not just about planning for a World Cup, but planning for an autumn series and a Six Nations."