Prop Ryan Grant is hoping to be part of an injection of youth to revive Scotland's fortunes in the international arena.
Glasgow loosehead prop looking to take Scotland chance
Prop Ryan Grant is hoping to be part of an injection of youth to revive Scotland's fortunes in the international arena.
Grant is one of five uncapped players who have been named in the 28-man squad for the tour to Australia, Fiji and Samoa next month, with Tim Visser, Tom Brown, Tom Ryder and Robert Harley also chosen.
All apart from Visser, the Holland-born Edinburgh winger who on June 12 will qualify through residency, featured in Scotland A's 35-0 February win over England Saxons which showed the potential within the ranks.
But a day later Scotland's senior side lost to England at Murrayfield and that potential is still to manifest itself on the Test stage.
Scotland travel to Australasia following the worst sequence of results since 1998, seven straight defeats, but Grant - whose opportunity has come after helping Glasgow Warriors to the RaboDirect PRO12 play-offs - is optimistic.
"There's a lot of young talent in Scotland at the minute," the 26-year-old loosehead said. "We've all stepped up all season and I'm confident we can do it again out there.
"There are plenty of young boys champing at the bit and I think that drives the performances of the older players as well."
Grounds for optimism
The success of Glasgow and Edinburgh, who reached the Heineken Cup semi-finals, encouraged Andy Robinson to continue his contract as head coach, which runs until the next World Cup.
Robinson has named his squad with 2015 in mind; fly-half Duncan Weir and centre Matt Scott have one cap, but have been preferred to more experienced duo Ruaridh Jackson and Graeme Morrison, in a party which retains the core group from the World Cup and Six Nations failures.
For Grant it is his second opportunity after he was named in the initial World Cup squad last summer, only to miss out on New Zealand.
The 26-year-old, who has been selected in part due to the decision to rest Edinburgh loosehead Allan Jacobsen, added: "It will be tough over there, but I'm ready for it and I'm going to take my opportunity if it gets given to me.
"The World Cup was my first involvement and I was disappointed not to go, but I think I'm a better player now than I was then.
"A good season with Glasgow has put me in a good position to go ahead and take that cap."
