Gilchrist leads Scotland again
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Head coach Vern Cotter today named Edinburgh lock Grant Gilchrist as captain of a 33-man Scotland squad selected for the November Tests.
Gilchrist led the Scots in two previous occasions, both in 2014, including a 21-19 victory over Argentina in Cordoba.
He will return to the role against the same opposition when the Tests get underway at Murrayfield next month, when Scotland face the Pumas on Saturday, November 8, before facing Rugby Championship winners New Zealand, at the same venue, followed by Tonga at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock.
"The most important thing for us, other than showing improvements in key areas, is developing an attack that will give us opportunities to score tries or earn points through teams being forced to infringe," Cotter said.
“We want to develop, and impose, our style, will, and strategy on our opposition. We want to play well, and enjoy playing in front of our home crowd.”
Gilchrist is joined by a further five of his Edinburgh clubmen, with a further 17 players coming from Glasgow Warriors, and 10 from clubs outside Scotland.
Among the group is just one uncapped player, 21-year-old outside centre, Mark Bennett, who scored twice in Glasgow Warriors’ five-try win over Bath in the European Rugby Champions Cup on Saturday.
Bennett was selected, but not capped, in last season’s End of Year Tour and missed Scotland’s June Series because of commitments to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Cotter added: “Argentina will offer us a very stern test, especially scrum time. They have good variety and move the ball well from nine, through the middle of the paddock and out the back.
"The All Blacks have just won the Rugby Championship and are the best team in the world, so we'll have to be on our toes.
“They also have more variety in their kicking game so covering space in the back field will be important.
“Defensively, we’re going to get tested, which is good because we want to show that our defence has improved.
“Tonga will be the final big test psychologically, having come through two big games, to play away from Murrayfield, and needing to put in a good performance at Rugby Park in Kilmarnock.
“It’s essential that we show maturity, mental strength and adaptability throughout the series.
"We have a good group, but the most important thing is that we play for each other, we play for the shirt, and we enjoy what we do.”
In addition to the 33-man squad, Cotter has also invited three uncapped players to train with the national team.
18-year-old prop Zander Fagerson and Edinburgh duo Hamish Watson (loose forward) and Allan Dell (prop), each of whom show great promise.
Fagerson, has represented Scotland under-18 and under-20 already this year, and made his debut for the Warriors earlier this month.
Watson came through the ranks with Leicester Academy and the Scottish Exiles programme to represent his country at under-19, under-20 and Sevens, and has been in the form of his life for his club this season.
Dell joined Edinburgh Rugby in the summer and has played three times for the club since recovering from a pectoral muscle injury that ruled him out of the start of the 2014/15 campaign.
Educated at Queens College in Eastern Cape, Dell played for the Sharks in the Currie Cup last year, he qualifies for Scotland through his grandmother, who was born in Paisley and brought up in Edinburgh.
Scotland: Adam Ashe, Johnnie Beattie, Fraser Brown, Blair Cowan, Geoff Cross, Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, Chris Fusaro, Grant Gilchrist, Robert Harley, Jonny Gray, Richie Gray, Scott Lawson, Kieran Low, Euan Murray, Gordon Reid, Alasdair Strokosch, Tim Swinson, Mark Bennett, Chris Cusiter, Alex Dunbar, Dougie Fife, Tom Heathcote, Stuart Hogg, Greig Laidlaw, Sean Lamont, Sean Maitland, Finn Russell, Henry Pyrgos, Tommy Seymour, Duncan Taylor, Tim Visser, Duncan Weir.
Invited to train with the squad: Allan Dell, Zander Fagerson, Hamish Watson.
Not considered through injury: David Denton, Ryan Grant, Ruaridh Jackson, Ross Rennie, Matt Scott, Jon Welsh, Ryan Wilson.
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