Scotland tour of Argentina: Grant Gilchrist on captaincy, World Cup planning, new leaders and Kinghorn at 10

Grant Gilchrist says Scotland’s three-Test tour of Argentina will be the start of their World Cup preparations as they look to right the wrongs of a dispiriting Six Nations campaign.

The 39-man squad will fly out to Santiago this evening and will warm up for the matches against the Pumas with an A international against Chile on Saturday.

They will then head over the border to Argentina where a slice of rugby history will be made. Never before have Scotland played a three-Test tour against one of the leading nations and the next four weeks are likely to provide head coach Gregor Townsend with plenty to chew over as he assesses his options ahead of next year’s World Cup in France.

In the absence of Stuart Hogg, Gilchrist will skipper Scotland in Argentina, a role he has performed before, but the Edinburgh lock said he was looking no further than this tour in terms of the captaincy.

“It is a huge honour to be asked to captain this squad in a three-Test series,” said Gilchrist. “I’ve never played a three-Test series before so to be asked to lead a young group like this is awesome for me.

“I’m not going to look beyond this tour and making sure that individually and collectively we put the right foot forward. What happens beyond that won’t be up to me.”

Townsend has said the door remains open for Hogg to return as captain if both player and coach feel it is right. The full-back is being rested over the summer along with Finn Russell and Chris Harris.

Hogg’s involvement in an unauthorised night out after Scotland’s win over Italy in March raised questions over his captaincy and the incident cast a cloud over a Six Nations series which began promisingly with a win over England but fizzled out with losses to Wales, France and