Gilchrist gets Cotter's nod

Buenos Aires - Scotland head coach Vern Cotter has named lock Grant Gilchrist as captain for Friday's Test against Argentina in Cordoba.

Cotter rang the changes with just four players remaining from the team that narrowly beat Canada 19-17 in Toronto last week.

Edinburgh lock Gilchrist has been handed the role despite having played just six Tests and never having captained his club.

"He has impressed me with his leadership qualities," Cotter said.

"He leads by example. Some captains are more at ease talking and organising whereas Gilcho is more adept at just getting on with it."

Gilchrist added: "It's a huge honour, one I'm really looking forward to.

"For me it's a boyhood dream. Of course there's massive responsibility, not just to this team, but to the entire country and Scotland fans throughout the world, but I'm really excited by it."

Gilchrist, Peter Horne, Sean Maitland and Stuart Hogg are the only players who lined up against Canada remaining along with replacements Blair Cowan, Kieran Low and Grayson Hart.

They are joined by eight players who flew directly to Argentina from Scotland.

Argentina lost their two Tests against Ireland 23-17 and 29-17, and Cotter is expecting a tough clash.

"We have to show teeth. We have to be able to attack from anywhere and we have to be able to dictate the pace and tempo of games. It's a challenge," he said.

"Argentina have to prepare for their Four Nations and they were much better in their second game against Ireland than in their first and they'll be looking for that same progression into the game against us."

Teams:

Argentina

TBA

Scotland

15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), 14 Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors), 13 Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), 12 Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), 11 Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), 10 Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors), 9 Grayson Hart (Edinburgh), 8 Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh), 7 Ross Ford (Edinburgh), 6 Geoff Cross (Glasgow Warriors), 5 Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), 4 Grant Gilchrist (captain, Edinburgh), 3 Robert Harley (Glasgow Warriors), 2 Blair Cowan (London Irish), 1 Kieran Low (London Irish)

Substitutes: 16 Pat MacArthur (Glasgow Warriors), 17 Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors), 18 Jon Welsh (Glasgow Warriors), 19 Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), 20 Chris Fusaro (Glasgow Warriors), 21 Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), 22 Tom Heathcote (Bath), 23 Dougie Fife (Edinburgh)