Scotland hit by late withdrawal before Australia clash

Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu has been ruled out of this afternoon’s Nations Championship clash at home to Australia with a knee injury.

As well as losing their midfield lynchpin, the late setback, only announced just over an hour before kick-off, has forced Scotland into a change of captain.

Rory Darge, who has the same number of Scotland caps (42) as Tuipulotu and has led the team 14 times, takes on the armband in the absence of his Glasgow teammate, who has been denied another crack at the country of his birth.

Tom Jordan, who was named as Scotland’s No.23 in the original line-up, will nowwear the 12 jersey, with his place on the bench taken by another player with captaincy experience in Stafford McDowall.

The revised Scotland team: 15. Blair Kinghorn, 14. Kyle Steyn, 13. Huw Jones, 12. Tom Jordan, 11. Darcy Graham; 10. Finn Russell, 9. Ben White, 1. Rory Sutherland, 2. Ewan Ashman, 3. Zander Fagerson, 4. Gregor Brown, 5. Scott Cummings, 6. Matt Fagerson, 7. Rory Darge  (capt), 8. Jack Dempsey

Replacements: 16. Gregor Hiddleston, 17. Pierre Schoeman, 18. Will Hurd, 19. Max Williamson, 20. Josh Bayliss, 21. Ollie Leatherbarrow, 22. Jamie Dobie, 23. Stafford McDowall