Williams bemoans loss of players

'As a rugby man it's hugely disappointing'

Scotland coach Matt Williams admitted that he was "extremely sad"  to be left without nine of his English-based players for the first of the the team's two Tests against Australia at Murrayfield in November.

Scotland face the Wallabies in Edinburgh on November 6 followed by Tests against Japan at McDiarmid Park, Australia again at Hampden in Glasgow and finally South Africa at Murrayfield.

The first match, however, scheduled as a celebration of the new Scottish Parliament, falls outside of the 'window' set aside by the IRB for the November Test matches and consequently Zurich Premiership sides such as the Newcastle Falcons have refused to release their Scottish players.

Williams will be missing experienced men such as Stuart Grimes, Tom Smith and Jason White but the unhappy Scotland coach attempted to put a positive spin on the situation.

"It's an extremely sad day for me and I can't understand that type of thinking," said Williams.

"As a rugby man it's hugely disappointing that people wouldn't allow those players a chance to play for their country.

"We knew the game was outside of the window but we hoped that the value placed on long-term club servants gaining an international cap would have prevailed but they are not going to.

"So I do feel really sorry for people like Stuart Grimes and Tom Smith who probably will never play Australia at Murrayfield again.

"How can you rob any player of the opportunity to play for their country?

"But there's two ways of looking at it. The players that we've picked are all knocking on the door and I think it's a really healthy thing because there's not a lot between them.

"So I don't want to dwell on it because people might think we're somehow putting put a team who are sub-standard and that's not the case.

"As one door closes and other opens for other players to step forward and take their opportunity."

Williams announced that Glasgow hooker Gordon Bulloch would be his captain for all four games and he insisted the experienced hooker deserved the accolade.

"When I first came it was my intention to use a different captain in each series," he said.

"I wanted a core group of players who would have that leadership experience to take us through to the next World Cup.

"Gordon's leadership at training and on the field has been outstanding. He's got a number of caps and has British Lions experience and so he has earned the position."