MATT Scott has been left out of the Scotland team to play Wales tomorrow after suffering a slight thigh-muscle tear in training, but it is hoped he will be fit again for the next Six Nations Championship match, against Italy in a fortnight. Duncan Taylor will start the game at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, where the roof will be shut after Vern Cotter, the Scotland coach, agreed with his counterpart Warren Gatland’s desire to ensure dry conditions.
Taylor’s replacement of Scott is Cotter’s only change to the starting line-up from the team that played England, while Sean Lamont comes on to the bench in the sole alteration among the replacements. Lamont was on standby for the Calcutta Cup as cover for Taylor, who overcame a back problem that had restricted his mobility earlier in the week.
“Matt decelerated and felt something in his thigh yesterday,” Cotter said. “He went for a scan this morning and it’s a slight tear.
“Because it’s a slight tear, if this was the last game, we could strap him up and get him to play. But we’ve got other games coming up, and we’re hoping he’ll be available for Italy.”
Gatland had said earlier in the week that he hoped the roof would be closed, and he has now received the agreement he needs from the opposition for his wish to be granted. “Yes, we’d like it shut,” Cotter said. “Why? In case it rains.
“We would like to be able to play the game. We’d like to be able to hang on to the ball.
“The kicking game seems to suit them, so if we can compete on the ground, if it’s a dry ball, a dry track, that suits us. For everything, for the whole day, it’s a more enjoyable day.”
Wales stand-off Dan Biggar has passed a fitness test on his ankle injury and retains the No 10 jersey in an unchanged line-up from the one that drew 18-18 with Ireland last Sunday.
Scotland (v Wales, Saturday, 4.50pm): S Hogg (Glasgow); S Maitland (London Irish), M Bennett (Glasgow), D Taylor (Saracens), T Seymour; F Russell (both Glasgow), G Laidlaw (Gloucester); A Dickinson, R Ford, W Nel (all Edinburgh), R Gray (Castres), J Gray (Glasgow), J Barclay (Scarlets), J Hardie (Edinburgh), D Denton (Bath). Substitutes: S McInally (Edinburgh), G Reid, Z Fagerson, T Swinson (all Glasgow), B Cowan (London Irish), S Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh), D Weir, S Lamont (both Glasgow).
Wales: L Williams (Scarlets); G North (Northampton), J Davies (Clermont), J Roberts (Harlequins), T James (Blues); D Biggar (Ospreys), G Davies; R Evans (both Scarlets), S Baldwin (Ospreys), S Lee (Scarlets), L Charteris (Racing 92), A Wyn Jones (Ospreys), S Warburton (Blues), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Faletau (Dragons). Substitutes: K Owens (Scarlets), G Jenkins (Blues), T Francis (Exeter), B Davies (Wasps), D Lydiate (Ospreys), L Williams (Blues), R Priestland (Bath), Gareth Anscombe (Blues).
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