HAVING already lost Sean Maitland from the summer tour party, Gregor Townsend, the head coach, is now having to deal with the loss of Richie Gray, the lock, and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, the scrum half, as well. For the time being, at least, only Hidalgo-Clyne is being replaced.

The news on Gray will come as a particular blow. The 6ft 9in lock had been returning to the kind of form that won him a place on the British & Irish Lions tour four years ago and must have hoped that he had a place on the secret stand-by list for this year's trip to New Zealand.

From the Scotland point of view, the loss of the second most capped forward from the original selection will come as a blow, as Townsend and his coaching team stamp their imprint on the side.

He has been carrying back niggle since the RBS Six Nations Championship, which has restricted the amount of work he has been able to do back at Toulouse, his club. He arrived at the Scotland camp last week with the damage still causing problems and also suffering the after-effects of a bug. "It became quickly evident he wouldn’t be able to play Test match rugby this summer," Townsend said.

"It was valuable having him in camp last week, spending time with the new coaching group, and we wish him well with his recovery and getting back to full fitness for next season."

For Hidalgo-Clyne, it is a depressing end to a subdued couple of years with form and injury having been a problem ever since he got named in the Scotland Rugby World Cup squad in 2015.

He probably though the bad times where behind him when he got a run of games for Edinburgh and was then promoted to the Scotland tour squad after Greig Laidlaw was picked for the Lions.

Any joy was short-lived, however. He tore a hamstring muscle in training. Though it was not too serious, it was bad enough to rule him out of the Scotland trip to the Southern Hemisphere.

Sean Kennedy, his Edinburgh colleague and rival, takes his place, the first time the 26-year-old has been included in a Scotland squad for four years after his previous experience ahead of 2013 RBS Six Nations Championship.

“We’re all disappointed for Sam who came into camp full of enthusiasm and worked really hard," Townsend added. “While it is a blow for him to miss the tour, at least his injury isn’t too serious.

"It is great that we have been able to call up a quality replacement in Sean Kennedy. His passing ability and conditioning level will fit in very well with the rugby we aspire to play.”

Preparations are going to have to continue, however, without the tour captain John Barclay, who unexpectedly led his club side, the Scarlets, to victory against Leinster in Dublin and is now getting ready for the Guinness PRO12 final this coming weekend. He is hoping to arrive for the final pre-tour sessions with a winner's medal, having left Glasgow Warriors just before they pulled off the feat.

"There has been a really good feeling about the place," he said in Llanelli. "I have not played in a final before, I don't think many guys in the group have – the year after I left, Glasgow made the [PRO12] final; the year after that they won it.

"I was a bit envious of the guys but really happy for my friends playing in these games. They told me how it was, what great occasions they were and how good it was to win something like that."