It was on Scotland's summer tour last year that Niko Matawalu grabbed the chance to transform his career and today we will find out how many of his young Glasgow Warriors colleagues will be given a similar chance next month.

The Fijian's individual performance was what prompted negotiations for his move to Glasgow, showing the importance of seizing the moment in the Test arena.

Some of Edinburgh's brighter young things may also get to showcase their abilities on the tour to South Africa that will offer an early look at Scotland's key World Cup rivals, but more of Matawalu's Glasgow clubmates have made cases for involvement this time.

Scotland will play South Africa and Samoa at Newcastle's St James' Park in their final two World Cup matches in 2015, so the mini-tournament next month offers something of a dress rehearsal.

They meet Samoa in Nelspruit on June 8 then South Africa in Durban a week later, with the possibility of again meeting either, or Italy, in their final match in Pretoria on June 22, depending on results.

Scotland's lack of representation on the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia means it can be close to a full-strength squad that makes the trip, but this is the first opportunity for players who some at the SRU believe form a "golden generation" to demonstrate whether they really do have something special.

Clearly this season's RBS 6 Nations championship regulars will form the nucleus of the squad but a number of uncapped players should be given the opportunity to seize their chances when Scott Johnson today names his squad. That two of Scotland's three Lions are back-three players represents a particular opportunity in those positions.

At full-back, Stuart Hogg's Glasgow Warriors rival Peter Murchie featured in Scotland squads during the season but Greig Tonks has been Edinburgh's most consistent performer in his first season in the capital, earning player-of-the-year awards from both his team-mates and supporters.

With Sean Maitland joining Hogg on the flight to Australia it also leaves room for wingers to impress and those in the mix will include their clubmate Tommy Seymour, his fellow Scotland A cap Duncan Taylor of Saracens, and Edinburgh pair Tom Brown, capped in Australia last summer, and Dougie Fife.Finishing power may no longer the issue it was, however the right mix is still being sought in the midfield and in that department an array of young Warriors are in the frame.

Peter Horne must now be given his chance, Johnson having indicated that he would have been selected for the Six Nations opener against England had he not suffered a thumb fracture, allowing Matt Scott to re-establish himself in the No.12 jersey, and the Glasgow centre could be paired at some stage with regular midfield partner Alex Dunbar, who has also won a lot of admirers this season.

The tour could let Mark Bennett, talked about with great excitement even before Hogg emerged in the pro ranks, demonstrate why Clermont Auvergne were so keen to sign him two years ago but he will surely gain more from playing in the Junior World Cup.

At half-back, and with Dunc Weir injured, Horne could be a future contender for the main play-maker's role after a couple of fine stand-in, stand-off performances. Meanwhile, Sean Kennedy also performed impressively when loaned by Edinburgh to Glasgow to get himself a jaunt to Paris as emergency cover at the end of the Six Nations.

In the front row Jon Welsh should be in line to add to his single Test appearance and Gordon Reid, on the Scotland bench against Tonga, has an outside chance, while hooker Pat MacArthur, who made the match 23 against Wales, looks to be ahead of Edinburgh's Steve Lawrie.

Behind them Richie Gray's absence, as the third Scottish Lion, might have allowed younger brother Jonny to gain useful experience had he not been in line to captain Scotland at the Junior World Cup, but clubmates Tom Ryder, capped on tour last year, and Tim Swinson, as well as Edinburgh's Grant Gilchrist, capped in France two months ago, are readier contenders.

Similarly in the back row the highly regarded Adam Ashe might have been considered were he not due to be with the under-20s, but Edinburgh's Stuart McInally is surely ready to step up, and Glasgow's Chris Fusaro may yet be deemed fit enough to travel.