BRYCE SURPRISE AS KEVIN CALLED INTO WORLD FOLD

Kevin Bryce last night spoke of his pride after his shock World cup call-up to the Scotland squad. The Glasgow Warriors hooker has been brought in as a replacement for Stuart Mcinally, who had a recurrence of a neck injury that forced him to withdraw. Mcinally marked his first and second international appearances in Scotland’s back-to-back wins over italy last month before being named in the final 31-man World cup squad. However, an Mri scan revealed the extent of a subsequent, ongoing neck complaint that could keep him out of action for up to three months. SRU chiefs did their best to keep Mcinally’s injury under wraps even from Bryce, who turned up at BT Murrayfield yesterday for what he thought was a routine fitness test. After it ended, much to Bryce’s astonishment, Scotland head coach vern cotter called him aside to tell him he would be going to the World cup. ‘it has been a whirlwind of a day,’ said Bryce. ‘i got a phone call telling me to come in for a medical check-up after i played in the Glasgow game against connacht at the weekend. ‘i thought after meeting Doctor James robson i would be going home. i didn’t even know i would be training with the Scotland squad yesterday, let alone have an idea that rambo (Stuart Mcinally) was out. ‘it never crossed my mind i was going to be called up to the extent i had just booked my son Layton’s eighth birthday party and now i will have to tell him i will miss it. ‘i managed to get a quick phone call to my old man, who is working up in Tiree, but that is the only person i had time to tell in the first half-hour as i was straight into the Scotland set-up.’ Bryce was cut from cotter’s 41-man training squad last month. He was brought back for the italy game against Turin the week before the final 31-man squad was picked but he was under no illusions that was only because hooker Fraser Brown was injured and he was the only alternative for the bench. ‘i knew that was just as injury cover,’ he said. ‘i never thought anything like this would happen. i feel gutted for rambo but now i have a chance i have to take.’ Bryce has been given the nod ahead of Pat McArthur as replacement hooker due to his ability to also play openside as well as in the front row.