EDINBURGH, Scotland — Three players from the Scotland rugby team, Jack Dempsey, Max Williamson, and Gregor Brown, have been ruled ineligible to compete against Portugal this Saturday at Murrayfield.
Dempsey and Williamson both sustained injuries during the recent match against South Africa, where Scotland faced a 32-15 defeat. Dempsey is dealing with a hand injury, while Williamson is contending with a shoulder issue.
On the other hand, Gregor Brown, who did not play against South Africa but participated in the game against Fiji the previous week, is nursing a rib injury.
In light of these injuries, the Scottish team has made the decision to bring in Glasgow hooker Johnny Matthews and Scarlets loosehead prop Alec Hepburn as replacements.
Matthews, who has been a part of the squad since 2022, was notably left out of the original lineup despite his impressive performance, having only previously appeared as an emergency substitute against Romania during last year’s Rugby World Cup.
Hepburn, a former England player, has contributed to the Scottish team by earning all four of his caps off the bench during the Six Nations tournament this year.
Additionally, Scotland lock Scott Cummings is set to face a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday after receiving a red card for a crocodile roll during his 20 minutes on the field against South Africa.