New faces in Scotland team for Test against NZ

Scotland coach Andy Robinson on Wednesday called up seven uncapped players in naming his Scotland squad to take on world champions New Zealand in Edinburgh on Nov.11. The 34-man squad includes new boys Edinburgh pair Stuart McInally and Grant Gilchrist as well as Alex Dunbar, Peter Horne, Peter Murchie, Tommy Seymour and Henry Pyrgos, all from Glasgow Warriors. McInally and centre Dunbar were late call-ups to Scotland’s summer tour to Australia, Fiji and Samoa, but did not play. Scrum-half Chris Cusiter was among 13 not considered for selection due to injury, with Mike Blair (Brive) and Rory Lawson (Newcastle Falcons) selected despite not playing top-division rugby. Pyrgos is also an option at number nine. Scotland are out to rebound after a poor 2011-12 season when they were eliminated from the Rugby World Cup at the group stages and defeated in all five Six Nations matches to finish with the wooden spoon. Robinson’s position was under scrutiny but Scotland responded with victories in Australia, Fiji and Samoa in June.