JOHN Hardie, who has yet to play a game in Scotland at any level and is at present without a club, is one of five uncapped players in the squad for Saturday’s match against Italy in Turin. The 27-year-old openside, who is eligible thanks to a grandmother from Fife, left the Highlanders in his native New Zealand last month to join Vern Cotter’s squad that is preparing for the Rugby World Cup. He has so far only signed a contract up until the end of the month, just before the head coach names his final group of 31 for the tournament.

“I’m totally committed to Scotland now,” Hardie said yesterday. “You’ve got to back your own ability and it’s about getting out there and performing. The next few weeks are going to be important for everyone and I’m no different.”

The other uncapped players in the squad for the match in the Stadio Olimpico are: Rory Hughes, the Glasgow wing; Stuart McInally, the Edinburgh hooker; WP Nel, the Edinburgh prop; and Damien Hoyland, who is a back with the capital team. Nel, a South African, has just qualified on residential grounds. Hoyland and Hughes come in for Dougie Fife and Tim Visser in the only changes to the back division from the squad of 25 originally selected for last week’s first warm-up match against Ireland.

One area of the team sure to be different this week is the back row. Adam Ashe, Alasdair Strokosch and Hamish Watson have all been selected in addition to Hardie after missing out on the game in Dublin, while John Barclay, Hugh Blake, Blair Cowan and David Denton all drop out.

The other newcomers in the pack besides Hardie, McInally and Nel are: Kevin Bryce, the Glasgow hooker; Alasdair Dickinson, the Edinburgh prop; and Richie Gray, the Castres lock. Fraser Brown, Ryan Grant, Rob Harley, Jon Welsh and Allan Dell are all rested, with news still awaited on the extent of Grant’s ankle injury.

Duncan Weir, the only man in the matchday 23 not to get a game against Ireland, is in the squad again this time. Dell and Fife were the two named in the 25 but left out of the 23. Grant Gilchrist, the Edinburgh lock, will captain the team, having taken over the leadership role after Henry Pyrgos was substituted late in last weekend’s 28-22 loss to Ireland in Dublin.