All Blacks to start Richie McCaw at blindside

Dan Carter will start his first Test in almost a year, and the captain Richie McCaw will play at blindside flanker for the first time, when New Zealand meet Scotland at Murrayfield.

Carter has not started a game for the world champions since last November's win against England at Twickenham, when he won his 100th cap, and the 32-year-old has barely played at all in 2014 following a six-month sabbatical and his recovery from a broken leg.

Distinguished career

McCaw, who has played openside flanker for the majority of his distinguished career, will make his first appearance in the number six jersey for the All Blacks as Steve Hansen gives the understudy Sam Cane valuable game time.

The hooker James Parsons will also make his Test debut at Murrayfield in an experimental team that includes the outhalf Colin Slade at right wing.

Vern Cotter has kept the starting XV who beat Argentina. Scotland registered an encouraging 41-31 win over the Pumas in Cotter’s home debut as coach and he will be hoping for more of the same when they take on his world champion compatriots.

The New Zealand-born pair Sean Maitland and Blair Cowan come up against the All Blacks for the first time.

Cotter has made four changes to the bench, with the Glasgow forwards Fraser Brown (hooker) and Tim Swinson (lock) replacing Scott Lawson and Jim Hamilton, who spent just four minutes on the pitch against Argentina before being sent to the sin-bin. Johnnie Beattie and Chris Cusiter come in for Alasdair Strokosch and the injured Henry Pyrgos.

First Test

England have named

Anthony Watson

on the right wing for tomorrow’s match against South Africa at Twickenham in the only change to the team that was defeated by New Zealand.

Watson made his debut as a second-half replacement in the 24-21 loss to the All Blacks and has been given his first Test start after his Bath team-mate Semesa Rokoduguni was ruled out by injury. The 20-year-old’s place on the bench is taken by Marland Yarde.