Star fly-half Finn Russell is fit to start for Scotland against South Africa in the second round of Nations Championship action.
The 33-year-old replaces Tom Jordan at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday after missing last weekend’s 47-38 win in Argentina with a calf problem.
There are two further changes as tighthead prop Zander Fagerson and lock Gregor Brown are promoted to the starting XV after coming off the bench in Cordoba, taking over from the injured Elliot Millar Mills and Jonny Gray.
Will Hurd, Josh Bayliss, Magnus Bradbury and Stafford McDowall are added to the bench, with winger Darcy Graham among those dropping out for what is Scotland’s first visit to South Africa since 2014.
The replacements also include hooker Gregor Hiddleston, who made a try-scoring debut against Argentina, and prop Rory Sutherland, in line to earn his 50th cap.
South Africa opened with a thumping 45-21 victory over England in Johannesburg.
The world champions have made 10 changes, with Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Cheslin Kolbe and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu rested.
Scotland have never won in South Africa, with head coach Gregor Townsend referring to the game at altitude as the “ultimate challenge”.
He added: “We see it as an opportunity to see where we are, to test ourselves against the best.”
Russell will make his 95th appearance for Scotland, with Townsend explaining that his number 10 has been in full training since the “middle of last week”.
“We want to get learnings from this game with our best available team,” he said.
“We know the bench will have a big part to play. It was pleasing to see Tom (Jordan) get 60 minutes last week. It’s good that we have players that can really add to our game in the second half because we will need it.”
Scotland: Rowe, Steyn, Hutchinson, Tuipulotu (capt), Dobie, Russell, White; Schoeman, Ashman, Z Fagerson, Brown, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.
Replacements: Hiddleston, Sutherland, Hurd, Samuel, Bayliss, Bradbury, Jordan, McDowall.
