GLASGOW Warriors players make up just over half of the Scotland squad for the Rugby World Cup, with 16 out of the 31 announced by head coach Vern Cotter yesterday. And that total could get higher during the tournament itself, with players like Alex Dunbar - who has been out since February with a knee injury but is now completing his recovery - poised to return in the event of injuries to others.

Like second-row Tim Swinson, winger Tommy Seymour has yet to turn out for Scotland during the series of warm-up games because of injury, but he is in the running for a place in Saturday’s match against Paris. No 8 Josh Strauss is the only uncapped player in the squad, as he does not become eligible to play for Scotland until later in the month.

“We needed leaders in the group and Josh has been a consistent and well performing leader with Glasgow and helped them to their title,” Cotter said of Strauss. “I felt he had something to bring to the group and we were looking at bringing powerful players who can dominate contact and he certainly gives that to us. He played against Canada [for Glasgow] last weekend and we believe his game will allow us to move forward on the pitch.”

Winger Sean Maitland has also yet to feature because of injury, but he is also ready to play, Cotter said. “He’s 100 per cent fit. He could have started last week, but we’ve given him another week to strengthen and develop his confidence.”

The other Warriors to be included are forwards Ryan Grant, Gordon Reid, Fraser Brown, Jonny Gray and Ryan Wilson, and backs Henry Pyrgos, Finn Russell, Duncan Weir, Mark Bennett, Peter Horne, Richie Vernon, Sean Lamont and Stuart Hogg. Glasgow forwards Adam Ashe and Rob Harley are among those who were axed in the final round of cuts.

Apart from Swinson, the biggest surprise in the squad was the inclusion of John Hardie as the only No 7, meaning there was no place for either Blair Cowan of London Irish or former Glasgow player John Barclay, now with the Scarlets. Cotter insisted that he had enough cover for Hardie in other positions.

Greig Laidlaw has been named as captain for the tournament, although with the first two pool games only four days apart, Glasgow scrum-half Henry Pyrgos and Edinburgh lock Grant Gilchrist will be in the running to lead the team in one of those matches.