Hooker ruled out of Scotland Rugby World Cup squad

EDINBURGH hooker Stuart McInally is the Scotland Rugby World Cup squad’s first casualty and will miss the tournament with a neck injury.

By Duncan Smith

Published 28th Feb 2019, 14:03 GMT

Kevin Bryce of Glasgow Warriors will replace Stuart McInally in the Scotland squad Picture: SNS

The Glasgow Warriors hooker Kevin Bryce – another back-row convert who made his Scotland debut as a loose forward on last year’s summer tour – has been brought into the squad as his direct replacement.

McInally won his first and second caps in Scotland’s back-to-back wins over Italy last month before being named in Vern Cotter’s official 31-man squad.

However, an MRI scan at Spire Murrayfield Hospital revealed the extent of a subsequent, ongoing neck complaint that necessitates a prolonged period of recovery beyond the competition.

Bryce had been drafted into the squad as injury cover earlier in the summer and was on the bench for the 16-12 win over Italy in Turin but was an unused replacement.

The 25-year-old Bryce is a former recipient of the John Macphail Scholarship which earned him a summer playing club rugby in New Zealand. His father, Jock, was a front-row stalwart for Heriot’s, while his full-back brother, Glenn, is also on the books at Glasgow and scored a try in last Friday’s Guinness Pro12 win over Connacht.

On Wednesday Scotland leave for Gloucester, where they are due to play their first Pool B match against Japan on Wednesday 23 September.

The Rugby World Cup kicks off on Friday when hosts England face Fiji at Twickenham.