Weir and Strauss heading for Newport rather than Rome

Scotland will go to Rome without Josh Strauss and the hero of their win there two years ago, stand-off Duncan Weir.

Both Weir and Strauss were in a group of six players sent back from the training camp to Glasgow Warriors and will play in their Guinness PRO12 match against Newport Gwent Dragons tonight in Wales.

Gordon Reid, Zander Fagerson, Rob Harley and Grayson Hart also all returned to Scotstoun, moves which have clear indications for the team Scotland head coach Vern Cotter will name this morning for the crunch meeting with Italy in the Stadio Olim pico.

Warriors Peter Horne and Ryan Wilson look to be in the matchday squad while it seems Edinburgh’s Rory Sutherland and Exeter tight-head Mo ray Low – whose last Six Nations match was the fixture in Rome in 2014 when he was substituted before half-time – are set for the prop slots on the bench.

Weir, who dropped the goal with seconds remaining to win that game, will as expected go back to Glasgow but there is more surprise that Strauss, who will captain the Warriors at Rodney Parade, has missed out on the trip to Rome.

The No 8 had a storming man-of-thematch performance in Glasgow’s win over Munster at Kilmarnock last week, was thought to be putting pressure on incumbent David Denton or at least favoured with a place as an impact substitute.

It now seems unlikely, however, that Cotter will change his starting line-up from the team that played in Cardiff two weeks ago, with it likely Horne, Wilson and there turning Matt Scott will start on the bench.

Meanwhile, full-back Peter Murchie will become the latest player to reach the milestone of 100 appearances for the Warriors.

Josh Strauss captains Glasgow tonight.