Robinson names seven uncapped players

Alex Dunbar is one of seven uncapped players in the squad to face New Zealand

24 October 2012

Head coach Andy Robinson has named seven uncapped players in his Scotland squad for the autumn Test with New Zealand.

The 34-man squad for the November 11 Test with the world champions and the preceding training camp at St Andrews includes 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.

McInally's back-row colleague David Denton and wing Lee Jones return after missing the tour through injury, with lock Jim Hamilton back after suspension saw him miss the June trip.

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.

Edinburgh hooker Ross Ford captained the side during the RBS 6 Nations and the summer, but that position could be under threat with Saracens back-row Kelly Brown fit again.

Robinson has told his players they have "everything to gain" from facing world champions New Zealand, a side Scotland have never beaten.

"We've got to be clear that we have everything to gain from this game," Robinson told Press Association Sport.

"It's a great opportunity for players to really test themselves and for us to be clear on where we are. For us it's about having a belief about what we're trying to do, the roles and everybody being clear in their roles going into the game, understanding how we can put New Zealand under pressure and putting in an 80-minute performance."

Scotland squad for St Andrews training camp and EMC Autumn Test with New Zealand on November 11: M Blair (Brive), N De Luca (Edinburgh), A Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), M Evans (Castres), S Hogg, P Horne, R Jackson (all Glasgow Warriors), L Jones, G Laidlaw (both Edinburgh), S Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), R Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), P Murchie, H Pyrgos (both Glasgow Warriors), M Scott (Edinburgh), T Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), T Visser (Edinburgh), J Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), K Brown (Saracens), G Cross, D Denton, R Ford, G Gilchrist (all Edinburgh), R Grant (Glasgow Warriors), R Gray (Sale Sharks), D Hall (Glasgow Warriors), J Hamilton (Gloucester), A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), A Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), S Lawson (London Irish), S McInally, R Rennie (both Edinburgh), T Ryder (Glasgow Warriors), A Strokosch (Perpignan) and K Traynor (Bristol).