Blade Thomson will become the latest player to represent Scarlets on the international stage when he runs out for Scotland against France at BT Murrayfield in Saturday’s World Cup warm-up.
The former Hurricanes back-rower was due to make his Test debut last November, but suffered a head knock in a Guinness PRO14 clash in Edinburgh which forced him to miss the majority of the season.
Thomson is now fully recovered and after impressing in Scotland’s summer training camps, is set to make his international bow in the Scottish capital.
Born in New Zealand, Thomson qualifies for Scotland through his paternal grandfather Robert.
The 28-year-old is named at No. 8 in a side showing wholesale changes from last weekend’s disappointing 32-3 defeat to Les Bleus in Nice.
Thomson will become the 235th player to represent either Llanelli RFC or the Scarlets in the Test arena, following Kieron Fonotia (Samoa) Tadhg Beirne (Ireland) and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Scotland) on the Scarlets’ roll of honour.
Former Scarlets favourite John Barclay is named among the replacements.
Scotland team to play France at BT Murrayfield Stadium
Saturday 24 August, kick-off 1.10pm – live on Premier Sport
15 Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) – 68 caps
14 Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 50 caps
13 Chris Harris (Gloucester) – 8 caps
12 Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 41 caps
11 Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 40 caps
10 Finn Russell (Racing 92) – 44 caps
9 Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne, capt) – 71 caps
1 Gordon Reid (Ayrshire Bulls) – 35 caps
2 George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 6 caps
3 Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 29 caps
4 Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap
5 Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) – 5 caps
6 Ryan Wilson VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 43 caps
7 Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) – 25 caps
8 Blade Thomson (Scarlets) – uncapped
Replacements
16 Grant Stewart (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
17 Allan Dell (London Irish) – 22 caps
18 Simon Berghan (Edinburgh)– 20 caps
19 Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 34 caps
20 John Barclay (Edinburgh) – 72 caps
21 George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 5 caps
22 Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints) – 1 cap
23 Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 12 caps