Cumbrian centre Chris Harris has been named in Scotland’s Rugby World Cup squad.

Former Carlisle Rugby Club man Harris, whose grandmother is from Dumfries, goes into the team alongside Peter Horne as cover for the expected first-choice midfield pairing of Sam Johnson and Duncan Taylor.

Huw Jones is the big-name omission, while rookie centre Rory Hutchinson has also missed out on a seat on the plane to Japan.

Stuart McInally has been picked ahead of former captains Greig Laidlaw and John Barclay to lead the team out for their opener with Ireland in Yokohama on September 22.

"Stuart has done a really good job in the opportunities he’s had to captain Scotland," head coach Gregor Townsend told Scottish Rugby's website.

"He captained Edinburgh last season and is a real lead-by-example player, both in training and in games.

"He’s a calming influence and is very good at bringing the best out of others."

But the major news surrounds Townsend’s decision to leave both Glasgow centre Jones and his midfield rival, from Northampton, Hutchinson out of the 31-man squad.

Jones burst on to the Test scene with nine tries in his first 14 appearances for the Dark Blues but, in the 18 months since he scored a sensational double in the 2018 Calcutta Cup win over England, his form for club and country has dropped off considerably.

His deficiencies in defence have also counted him out of contention while a lack of experience appears to have contributed to the decision to leave Hutchinson behind, despite the 23-year-old making a late bid for selection with a brace on his first Scotland start during Saturday’s win in Georgia.

"We’re delighted with the squad and believe we’ve picked a group capable of playing our best rugby and doing this consistently throughout the tournament," Townsend added.

"The players have worked hard to be in the best physical shape of their careers and we know that, when they play to their potential, they are capable of beating any team in the world.

"There were a number of tough calls given the quality of our wider training squad, and on the close decisions, we’ve looked to select players that have strong defensive attributes and are willing to out-work their opposite number."