Scotland team: Finn Russell OUT as Glasgow Warriors man primed for debut in Los Pumas showdown
Finn Russell (right) will miss Scotland's Test against Argentina
Scotland will be without Finn Russell for their Nations Championship opener against Argentina, with the fly-half still under an injury cloud.
The British and Irish Lions star missed the end of Bath’s PREM Rugby season with a calf issue, and has now been left out of Scotland’s 23-man squad entirely, with Tom Jordan starting at fly-half.
Elsewhere, there is a potential debut for Glasgow Warriors man Gregor Hiddleston, who features on the bench, while Pierre Schoeman and Scott Cummings will also win their 50th caps from the run-on group.
Gregor Townsend names Scotland team as Finn Russell misses out
While Russell is a major omission in their backline, Townsend is able to call on his key generals across the backline, naming a strong unit.
Kyle Rowe gets the nod at full-back, with Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie named on the wings. In-form Northampton Saints man Rory Hutchinson starts alongside captain Sione Tuipulotu in the centres, with Jordan partnering Ben White in the halves.
Japan-bound Jack Dempsey starts at number eight for Scotland, with Rory Darge and Matt Fagerson featuring on the flanks. Milestone man Cummings is joined by Jonny Gray in the locks, with Elliot Millar Mills and Ewan Ashman joining fellow 50-capper Schoeman in the front-row.
Hiddleston also features in a strong bench, with Townsend opting to go for a 5:3 split. The Glasgow hooker is joined by Rory Sutherland, Zander Fagerson, Alex Samuel and Gregor Brown as the forward options, while George Horne, Fergus Burke and Darcy Graham are the backs on the replacements list.
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Scotland team v Argentina in full
Scotland: 15 Kyle Rowe, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Rory Hutchinson, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Jamie Dobie, 10 Tom Jordan, 9 Ben White, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Fagerson, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Jonny Gray, 3 Elliot Millar Mills, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Gregor Hiddleston, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Alex Samuel, 20 Gregor Brown, 21 George Horne, 22 Fergus Burke, 23 Darcy Graham
