RORY Hughes and Greig Tonks have been drafted into the Scotland squad after injury forced Saracens wing Sean Maitland to withdraw.
Maitland damaged ankle ligaments in Saracens’ Aviva Premiership loss to Wasps a fortnight ago and will now sit out this summer’s tour to Singapore, Australia and Fiji.
With full-back Stuart Hogg on British and Irish Lions duty this summer, Maitland was expected to fill in at 15 when Gregor Townsend takes charge of Scotland for the first time against Italy at the Singapore National Stadium on June 10.
But with that option now gone, the new national team coach has decided to call up two players to provide cover across the back three.
Glasgow wideman Hughes and London Irish full-back Tonks have already joined up with the rest of the squad, who have been preparing at their Oriam training base on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
Twice-capped Hughes, 24, last featured for Scotland in the autumn, when he started the victory over Georgia at Rugby Park.
Tonks, 27, has been capped six times for his country, with the most recent the win over Italy in Turin in the build-up to the 2015 World Cup.
Townsend said: “We’ve watched Greig closely this season. He’s done really well in a good London Irish side and played a lot of full-back but also covered at centre and stand-off.
“He’s a player that brings aggression and a really good kicking game but also has the ability to step up at first and second receiver. Primarily we’re looking at him as a 15 but it’s positive he can cover other positions as well.
“Rory has had a really good season. He was on excellent form before the injury he suffered just before Christmas and got back to that form towards the end of the season.
“This is an opportunity for him to continue the good work he put in this season, in particular leading up to the Autumn tests, where he was capped against Georgia.”
Meanwhile, it was announced that Scotland flanker John Barclay will captain the Scarlets after British and Irish Lions hooker Ken Owens was ruled out tonight’s Guinness PRO12 play-off clash against Leinster.
The Scarlets said Wales international Owens had suffered an ankle injury.
Earlier this month Barclay was announced as captain of Scotland for a summer tour which will see the squad face Italy, Australia and Fiji.
That was after Greig Laidlaw received a call-up for the Lions, who will leave for their 10-game New Zealand tour on May 29.
It is understood that Owens was injured during training with the Scarlets earlier this week and has already been assessed by the Lions.
The Lions, currently in Wales for a pre-tour training camp, are set to reassess him, probably ahead of next week’s training get-together in Ireland.
If Owens ends up being ruled out of the tour, then it could open the door for England skipper Dylan Hartley.
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