SCOTLAND coach Vern Cotter has insisted that the team he has selected to play South Africa tomorrow will be competitive - despite the absence of several of his best players.

Glasgow stand-off Finn Russell is unavailable because of his ankle injury, while No.7 John Hardie has yet to be cleared to play after taking a head knock in the national team’s first game of the Rugby World Cup against Japan. But Cotter has also left Mark Bennett and Sean Maitland out of the squad altogether, as well as only selecting Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford and Sean Lamont for the bench.

Blair Cowan, Richie Vernon and Gordon Reid will make their first appearances of the competition in the Pool B match at St James’ Park, Newcastle, and could be joined by Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, who is among the substitutes. Fraser Brown starts for the first time in his preferred position of hooker, having come on in the back row against the United States.

Stuart Hogg, who missed the final warm-up game against France because of a foot injury, is the only player to be chosen to start all three games.

“We’ve looked at workloads and potential injuries and there are players we feel that are better regenerating,” Cotter said. “Ross Ford had a good shift against the USA” - the hooker also began against Japan - “so Fraser comes in to even up the workloads a little bit, at the same time bringing players in fresh who have been watching their team-mates play for a few games and will be keen to have a piece of the action.

“These players will be giving 100 per cent of themselves, and it’s a team that will be competitive. Everybody has worked hard to make the 31 and we said we needed to use everyone.

"That’s the case now, and it’s a case of stepping up and get on with it.”

Captain Greig Laidlaw, who began the first game against Japan then came on as a substitute for Henry Pyrgos against the US, insisted that it was unfair to call this team a ‘second string’ select.

“I think that’s a bit disrespectful to the players who have been selected,” the scrum-half said. “We knew coming into the World Cup that it would be a 31-man effort and you need your squad. Boys are champing at the bit, specially those who haven’t played.

“Fraser Brown came on against America and made a big impact. He’s a strong and physical player as well. Richie Vernon is a big physical centre. Just wait and see our performance rather than pre-judge.”

Russell, who turned an ankle against the US, should be back for the final pool game, against Samoa a week on Saturday, according to his coach.

“He’s seen a specialist,” Cotter said. “Things seem to be turning positively towards him taking part in training midway through next week - we’re looking to bringing him back to full training next Wednesday.”

Hardie will also be available provided he completes the return-to-play protocol successfully. The openside flanker was due to be tested again yesterday, having failed one element of the protocol last week. Every element has to be passed before a player who has suffered a head knock is allowed to play again.

Scotland (v South Africa at St James’ Park, Newcastle, Saturday, 4.45pm): S Hogg; T Seymour, R Vernon, M Scott, T Visser; D Weir, G Laidlaw; G Reid, F Brown, W Nel, R Gray, J Gray, J Strauss, B Cowan, D Denton. Substitutes: R Ford, A Dickinson, J Welsh, T Swinson, R Wilson, S Hidalgo-Clyne, P Horne, S Lamont.