Scotland team and captain named for Test match v Canada

Grant Gilchrist will captain Scotland against Canada. Picture: Gary Hutchison/SNS/SRU

Coach Gregor Townsend has selected two debutants for the match, with Edinburgh flanker Jamie Ritchie and Harlequins centre James Lang winning their first caps.

There are two more potential debutants, with Edinburgh forward Lewis Carmichael joined on the bench by Glasgow Warriors stand-off Adam Hastings.

Lock forward Gilchrist, who skippered Scotland against Argentina and South Africa on the 2014 tour, returns to the captaincy, with hopes that his Edinburgh team-mate McInally will be fit for the next two games against United States and the Pumas.

Edinburgh’s Blair Kinghorn will win his third cap but a first in his favoured full-back role, with Newcastle centre Chris Harris returning for the first time since making his first start in the loss to Wales on the opening weekend of the Six Nations.

Scarlets-bound scrum-half Sam Hidalgo-Clyne makes his first Scotland appearance for over two years, partnering Ruaridh Jackson at half-back.

Townsend said: “The coaches and I have enjoyed working with the players this week in Vancouver and are pleased with how they have performed in training, getting through a lot of technical, tactical and conditioning work.

“We’ve now arrived in Edmonton where we will be putting the finishing touches on our preparation and aim to put a marker down at the beginning of this three-Test tour, against a side which has, historically, been a very tough side for Scotland over the years – especially on home soil.

“A number of opportunities have been given to players to play their way into our thinking on this tour and beyond and we look forward to seeing them take to the field this Saturday.”

Scotland team to play Canada at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton

Saturday 9 June (kick-off 7pm local time, Sunday 2am UK time) – live on BBC

15 Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 2 caps

14 Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps

13 Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons) – 2 caps

12 James Lang (Harlequins) – uncapped

11 Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks) – 3 caps

10 Ruaridh Jackson VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 32 caps

9 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Scarlets) – 9 caps

1 Allan Dell (Edinburgh) – 10 caps

2 Fraser Brown VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 31 caps

3 Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 8 caps

4 Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) – 9 caps

5 Grant Gilchrist CAPTAIN (Edinburgh) – 22 caps

6 Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh) – 2 caps

7 Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – uncapped

8 David Denton (Leicester Tigers) – 39 caps

Substitutes

16 George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 2 caps

17 Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps

18 Murray McCallum (Edinburgh) – 1 cap

19 Lewis Carmichael (Edinburgh) – uncapped

20 Luke Hamilton (unattached) – 1 cap

21 Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 16 caps

22 Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped

23 Mark Bennett (Edinburgh) – 20 caps