McGeechan picks three new caps

Scotland v Romania Murrayfield, 4

Scotland v Romania Murrayfield, 4.0 Scotland coach Ian McGeechan has picked three new caps to face Romania who, thanks to their French coach Bernard Charreyre, have improved beyond recognition following their 134-0 humiliation at Twickenham last year.

Harlequins prop Bruce Douglas is preferred to Mattie Stewart, who is on the bench; former Cambridge Blue Stuart Moffat gets a run at full back; and Nikki Walker is on the wing.

Romania, after holding Wales to a less than convincing 40-3 triumph last weekend, start with nine of the team who lost 21-18 to Scotland A on Tuesday.

One of the tries that day came from Ionut Tofan and the diminutive outhalf will be pleased that for once in his life he will stand eyeball to eyeball with his opponent. Scotland's Gordon Ross is also 5ft 8in.

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SCOTLAND: Moffat (Glasgow); Walker (Borders), Craig (Orrell), Laney (Edinburgh), Paterson (Edinburgh); Ross (Leeds), Redpath (Sale, capt); Smith (Northampton), Bulloch (Glasgow), Douglas (Borders), Murray (Edinburgh), Grimes (Newcastle), Leslie (Edinburgh), Taylor (Edinburgh), Pountney (Northampton). Replacements: Scott (Borders), Stewart (Northampton), Hines (Edinburgh), Petrie (Glasgow), Beveridge (Glasgow), Townsend (Borders), Hinshelwood (Worcester).

ROMANIA: Brezoianu; Teodorescu, Maftei, Gontineac (capt), Ghioc; Tofan, Mitu; Balan, Tincu, Dima, Petrichei, Petre, Corodeanu, Petrache, Chiriac. Replacements: Toderasc, Florea, Dragnea, Tonita, Socaciu, Sirbu, Coltuneac, Podea.