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Wholesale changes for Wounded Scotland

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Scotland made eight changes to the side who suffered a shock defeat to the USA last weekend.

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Scotland tour captain Stuart McInally has recovered from injury to feature in the national team’s third and final Test match against Argentina at the Estadio Centenario on Saturday.

The Edinburgh hooker has been given the all-clear to start in Resistencia having been ruled out of the first and second Tests against Canada and USA by a calf strain sustained on the eve of the tour.

McInally is one of eight changes to the starting side named by Head Coach Gregor Townsend, six of which accompany him in the pack where Tim Swinson is the only forward to be retained from last weekend’s loss to the USA – albeit as a second-row this time around.

Edinburgh props Allan Dell and Simon Berghan return to join McInally in the front-row, with lock and vice-captain Grant Gilchrist coming into partner Swinson.

A new back-row trio is also named, with Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh), David Denton (Leicester Tigers) and Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) selected in the loose forwards.

It will be the third time that Brown – typically a hooker – will operate on the openside for his country, having twice featured off the bench in the role for Scotland against the USA, last weekend and in Rugby World Cup 2015.

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The only change to the backs sees Edinburgh wing Dougie Fife – try-scorer against the USA last weekend – promoted from the bench to earn his first start since 2015, alongside returning outside backs Stuart Hogg (vice-captain) and Blair Kinghorn.

Scotland Head Coach Gregor Townsend, said: “The players have responded well in training this week with focus, effort and accuracy. This is our last Test of the tour and we’re determined to finish on a high.

“With the majority of the squad involved in two Tests, we believe that we’ll be in a much better position in the future, having exposed more players to Test-level rugby, for the season ahead and beyond.

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“We’ve learned a lot on this tour about this group of players. Now we have to use that learning to put in a very good performance to beat Argentina on their home patch.

“We’re looking forward to a passionate atmosphere in a football stadium with the crowd very close to the pitch.

“Argentina will bring their passion and physicality where they have traditionally been strong – set piece, ball carrying and in the contact area.

“They also have a host of excellent attacking players, and the last few seasons have seen a much more expansive brand of rugby since joining the Rugby Championship and, more recently, the performances of Jaguares in Super Rugby,”

The team is completed by Glasgow Warriors pair Pete Horne and Nick Grigg who will again form the midfield, with flyhalf Adam Hastings and scrumhalf George Horne reinstated at halfback.

Scotland and Argentina and have met 16 times in their history, with the Scot’s record standing at won seven, lost nine.

Excluding the two matches on neutral grounds (Rugby World Cup 2007 and 2011), the head-to-head count over 14 Tests is split evenly at seven apiece.

Momentum stands in the favour of the Scots, however, who have won the last three meetings between the sides in Cordoba (2014) and Edinburgh (2014 and 2016).

Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Dougie Fife, 13 Nick Grigg, 12 Pete Horne, 11 Blair Kinghorn, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 George Horne, 8 David Denton, 7 Fraser Brown, 6 Magnus Bradbury, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 4 Tim Swinson, 3 Simon Berghan, 2 Stuart McInally (captain), 1 Allan Dell.
Replacements: 16 George Turner, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Ben Toolis, 20 Jamie Ritchie, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 James Lang, 23 Chris Harris.

Date: Saturday, June 23
Venue: Estadio Centenario, Resistencia
Kick-off: 16:40 (20:40 UK time or Scotland time, 19:40 GMT)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Andrew Brace (Ireland)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)

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