Pyrgos to captain Scotland in Dublin

Editor

Glasgow Warriors scrum-half Henry Pyrgos will captain Scotland in Saturday's pre-World Cup clash with Ireland in Dublin.

Head Coach Vern Cotter named a 25-man squad for the first in a four Test-match schedule to be played on consecutive Saturdays.

The starting XV will be named on Thursday while the remaining 22 players in the extended squad will continue their preparations at Murrayfield.

Back-to-back fixtures against Italy will follow in Turin (22nd) and Edinburgh (29th), where the hope to win big will be rife in both matches.

The Scotland team will then announce the final 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup before concluding preparations against France in Paris on Saturday, September 5.

Scotland squad:

Forwards: John Barclay, Hugh Blake, Fraser Brown, Blair Cowan, Mike Cusack, David Denton, Allan Dell, Grant Gilchrist, Ryan Grant, Jim Hamilton, Rob Harley, Stuart McInally, Gordan Reid, Jon Welsh. 

Backs: Dougie Fife, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Peter Horne, Ruaridh Jackson, Sean Lamont, Henry Pyrgos, Tommy Seymour, Greig Tonks, Richie Vernon, Tim Visser, Duncan Weir.