WORCESTER Warriors back row Cornell du Preez is set to feature in a new-look Scotland side against Ireland in the opening round of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations in Dublin on Saturday (4.45pm).

The recalled Du Preez, who has previously won six caps, can complete an impressive return from the larynx injury he sustained representing his club in September 2018 if called upon off the bench.

But Worcester fly-half Duncan Weir, a late call-up to the squad, will not figure.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend said: “We have managed to cover a lot of work in the two weeks we’ve been together and we’ve been impressed with how our players have taken on information and bonded as a team."

There are 10 changes to the starting side that faced Japan in Scotland’s final match of the Rugby World Cup, split evenly between the forwards and backs.

The pack features a Test debut for number eight Nick Haining who anchors an all-Edinburgh back row with fit-again openside Hamish Watson and returning blindside Jamie Ritchie.

Scotland: Hogg (Exeter Chiefs); Maitland (Saracens), Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Johnson (Glasgow Warriors), Kinghorn (Edinburgh); Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), Price (Glasgow Warriors); Sutherland (Edinburgh), Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Ritchie (Edinburgh), Watson (Edinburgh), Haining (Edinburgh). Replacements: McInally (Edinburgh), Dell (London Irish), Berghan (Edinburgh), Toolis (Edinburgh), du Preez (Worcester Warriors), Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), Harris (Gloucester).