THE appeal by Scotland forwards Ross Ford and Jonny Gray against their three-week suspensions will be heard in London at 10am on Saturday, with the result expected to be announced later in the day. The three-man appeal committee will be chaired by Justice Lex Mpati of South Africa, who will sit with Justice Graeme Mew of Canada and Robbie Deans of New Zealand. Bruce Caldow, Scottish Rugby’s lawyer, will accompany the players.
The Scotland camp’s appeal against the sentence for dangerous tackles was finally submitted to Rugby World Cup at 11.55am on Friday, nearly two days after the full judgement was communicated to them. The time taken to lodge the appeal reflects Scottish Rugby’s decision that it should be made against the length of the ban rather than the finding of guilt, effectively accepting that both men will be sidelined for at least Sunday’s quarter-final against Australia. Vern Cotter, Scotland’s head coach, opted earlier in the week to plan for that match on the presumption that both Gray and Ford would be unavailable to him.
Cotter yesterday named a team with four changes from the starting line-up against Samoa, bringing Fraser Brown in at hooker for Ford and Tim Swinson at lock for Gray. Peter Horne replaces the injured Matt Scott at inside centre, though according to the camp that change would have been made anyway, and Blair Cowan, normally an openside, comes straight into the team at blindside in place of Ryan Wilson.
There are three changes on the bench from last week’s match. Kevin Bryce comes in as cover for Brown, Richie Vernon is back-up centre, and Alasdair Strokosch is the back-row replacement. Ryan Wilson, yellow-carded against Samoa, misses out altogether.
Australia coach Michael Cheika has had to replace two of his most influential players because of injury, with flanker David Pocock and full-back Israel Folau making way for Ben McCalman and Kurtley Beale respectively. Michael Hooper returns to the back row after a one-week ban. Matt Giteau and captain Stephen Moore will both win their 100th caps in the game.
Scotland (v Australia at Twickenham, Sunday, 4pm): S Hogg; S Maitland, M Bennett, P Horne, T Seymour; F Russell, G Laidlaw; A Dickinson, F Brown, W Nel, T Swinson, R Gray, B Cowan, J Hardie, D Denton. Substitutes: K Bryce, G Reid, J Welsh, A Strokosch, J Strauss, H Pyrgos, R Vernon, S Lamont.
Australia: K Beale; A Ashley-Cooper, T Kuridrani, M Giteau, D Mitchell; B Foley, W Genia; S Sio, S Moore, S Kepu, K Douglas, R Simmons, S Fardy, M Hooper, B McCalman. Substitutes: T Polota-Nau, J Slipper, G Holmes, D Mumm, S McMahon, N Phipps, M Toomua, Q Cooper.
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