Scotland name Visser in summer squad

Rugby:Dutch-born Edinburgh wing Tim Visser is one of five uncapped players included in Scotland's summer tour squad to Australia. Fiji and Samoa.

Visser has been selected alongside Edinburgh team-mate Tom Brown, who plays full back, and three Glasgow Warriors, prop Ryan Grant, backrow/lock Robert Harley and lock Tom Ryder.

Injuries and suspensions have hit the Scotland squad ahead of the Tests with Australia (June 5th), Fiji (June 16th) and Samoa (June 23rd) and the cancellation of the non-Test fixture with New South Wales Waratahs meant the squad was scaled back to a 28-man group.

Hooker Ross Ford has retained the captaincy after being skipper during the Six Nations, while Ruaridh Jackson has missed out on selection in favour of Warriors team-mate Duncan Weir.

Visser was the RaboDirect Pro12 Players’ Player of the Year and leading try scorer, making a vital contribution as Edinburgh reached the Heineken Cup semi-finals.

He becomes eligible for Scotland on June 12th, qualifying on the grounds of three years’ residency following his move to Edinburgh from Newcastle Falcons.

Visser, who will be 25 on May 29th and has scored 43 tries in 74 appearances, will therefore miss the opening Test with Australia on June 5th in Newcastle.

After the cancellation of the only non-Test fixture, he may first pull on the dark blue jersey in Fiji.

Visser said: “I’m very honoured, having lived here for such a long time now I’ve got to know the country and the people very well and I feel very much part of the country.

“I feel really at home here and the people have been great. I would love to represent Scotland.”

Visser’s commitment is a welcome boost for a Scotland side who have struggled to score tries and are seeking to arrest the worst run since 1998 after seven successive losses.

Scotland head coach Andy Robinson said: “This is a tough tour for Scotland. We’ll be playing against three attack-minded teams on their own turf. But it’s an important opportunity to start the rebuilding process after a disappointing Six Nations.”

The core of the squad comes from the group which finished with the Six Nations wooden spoon after defeat to Italy in March, but Edinburgh prop Allan Jacobsen has been rested, joining injured number eight David Denton (ankle) and wing Lee Jones (shoulder), plus suspended lock Jim Hamilton, in missing the tour. Flanker Kelly Brown (leg) missed the Six Nations and remains absent.

Weir, who led Glasgow to the Pro 12 play-offs, Edinburgh centre Matt Scott and Warriors prop Jon Welsh are included after making their maiden Scotland appearances during the Six Nations.

Robinson added: “One quarter of the squad has yet to start an international but we’ve seen from the manner in which Edinburgh and Glasgow have finished the domestic season that there’s confidence that we will be looking to build on.”

Robinson will be joined on tour by assistant coach Scott Johnson, but Matt Taylor, who has agreed to join as defence coach, will continue his duties with the Queensland Reds and is not part of Scotland’s touring party.

Johnson and Taylor replace Gregor Townsend and Graham Steadman, whose contracts were not renewed after the Six Nations.

SCOTLAND (squad for summer tour to Australia, Fiji and Samoa). Backs: J Ansbro (London Irish), M Blair, T Brown, N De Luca, M Scott, T Visser, G Laidlaw (all Edinburgh), C Cusiter, D Weir, S Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), M Evans (Castres), A Grove (Worcester Warriors), S Lamont (Scarlets).

Forwards: J Barclay, R Grant, R Gray, D Hall, R Harley, A Kellock, J Welsh, T Ryder (all Glasgow Warriors), G Cross, R Rennie, R Ford (capt) (all Edinburgh), S Lawson, A Strokosch (both Gloucester), E Murray (Newcastle Falcons), R Vernon (Sale Sharks).