Tim Swinson and Fraser Brown will face Australia
Tim Swinson has been called up by Scotland to face Australia in Sunday's Rugby World Cup quarter final
©PA
Scotland forwards Tim Swinson and Fraser Brown will replace suspended duo Ross Ford and Jonny Gray for Sunday's World Cup quarter-final with Australia at Twickenham.
Ford and Gray were both hit with a three-week ban after an illegal two-man tip tackle on Samoa's Jack Lam last weekend.
The Scottish union have appealed the decision but were only able to lodge the papers on Friday morning and are still waiting to be given a time slot for their hearing by World Rugby chiefs.
There is a remote chance the hearing could take place on Saturday but with no precedent for a complete reversal of a suspension, Vern Cotter has gone forged ahead and planned for their absence.
As well as calling in hooker Brown and second-rower Gray, the Kiwi head coach has made a further two changes to the side that squeezed past Samoa at St. James’ Park in the Scots’ final Pool B match.
With the dangerous Australian backrow fielding two openside flankers in Michael Hooper and David Pocock, Cotter has opted to fight fire with fire and match up London Irish's Blair Cowan with specialist seven John Hardie in an effort to combat the Australian duo’s devastatingly effective breakdown work.
Edinburgh centre Matt Scott failed a fitness test on Thursday night after picking up a back injury with Glasgow's Peter Horne taking his place in the in the starting XV.
Greig Laidlaw will tie Bryan Redpath for the second highest number of times a Scottish player has captained his country, with the Gloucester scrumhalf set to lead his country out for the 21st time on Sunday. Only David Sole on 25 has captained the national team on more occasions.
Cotter said: "It's always nice to be part of the final eight of any qualifying competition, the guys are very excited about being here.
"We will go into this game with the belief that we can compete with and dominate a very strong Australian team, and move forward to the last four.
"They are a front-foot momentum team so defence will be key but also getting our hands on the ball and expressing ourselves as we like to."
Scotland: Hogg, Maitland, Bennett, Horne, Seymour, Russell, Laidlaw (capt); Dickinson, Brown, Nel, Swinson, Gray, Cowan, Hardie, Denton.
Replacements: Bryce, Reid, Welsh, Strokosch, Strauss, Pyrgos, Vernon, Lamont.
