SCOTLAND head coach Vern Cotter has named a 25-man squad to face Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin this Saturday in the first stage of a four Test-match build-up to next month's World Cup. The matches against Ireland, Italy (twice), and France will be played on consecutive Saturdays as the extended 47-man squad gear up for the main showpiece.

Glasgow Warriors scrum-half Henry Pyrgos will captain the team, which will be named on Thursday, with the remaining 22 players in the extended squad continuing their pre-season preparations at Murrayfield. Back-to-back fixtures against Italy will follow in Turin (22nd) and Edinburgh at BT Murrayfield (29th), with the home encounter fans’ only chance to see Scotland on home soil before the world cup.

The Scotland team will then announce the final 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup before concluding preparations against France in Paris on Saturday 5 September. The Scots kick off their World Cup campaign against Japan at Kingsholm on Wednesday September 23.

Scotland squad to face Ireland at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, this Saturday, kick-off 5pm:

Backs: Dougie Fife, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Peter Horne, Ruaridh Jackson, Sean Lamont, Henry Pyrgos (captain), Tommy Seymour, Greig Tonks, Richie Vernon, Tim Visser, Duncan Weir.

Forwards: John Barclay, Hugh Blake, Fraser Brown, Blair Cowan, Mike Cusack, David Denton, Allan Dell, Grant Gilchrist, Ryan Grant, Jim Hamilton, Rob Harley, Stuart McInally, Gordon Reid, Jon Welsh.