Rugby World Cup Pool B: Scotland v Romania
- Venue: Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
- Date: Saturday 10 September
- Kick-off: 0200 BST/ 1300 NZ
- Coverage: Scores and reports on the BBC Sport website plus live text commentaries on selected games including all home nations matches; updates on BBC Radio 5 live; watch live on ITV1/ITV4; listen on TalkSport radio
Mike Blair starts at scrum-half in a strong Scotland side for the World Cup opener against Romania.
Blair will partner fly-half Ruaridh Jackson, while Joe Ansbro and Sean Lamont make up the centre pairing.
Full-back Chris Paterson becomes the first Scot to play at four World Cups, while hooker Ross Ford will win his 50th cap in Invercargill.
Skipper Alastair Kellock is joined by Glasgow team-mate Richie Gray in the second row.
While the back division, with Max Evans and Simon Danielli on the wings is a little experimental, Scotland's forward selection is arguably their first-choice pack.
"We have picked a strong side," said head coach Andy Robinson. "There is competition for places and we could easily have picked another XV, as we did in the warm-up games.
"As ever, our key objective this weekend is to win the game and thus get a foothold in the tournament.
"We really respect Romania, who are a young side who are developing together.
Andy RobinsonScotland head coachWe've trained really well in the last three months and it's now about going out and delivering
"For us we've trained really well in the last three months and it's now about going out and delivering."
Rory Lawson is the scrum-half to miss out, with Chris Cusiter given a place on the bench, alongside Cardiff Blues number 10 Dan Parks.
Paterson, Scotland's record holder for appearances and points scored, will be winning his 106th cap.
Seven of the starting XV will be getting a first taste of World Cup action, with tighthead prop Geoff Cross the least experienced at international level, having played just six matches.
With Scotland's second fixture following swiftly against Georgia on Wednesday, Robinson is likely to utilise most of his 30-man squad in the opening two games.
Captain and hooker Marius Tincu returns for Romania, having missed his country's last two outings.
Eight members of the starting line-up for Saturday's match also started in Romania's last World Cup match in 2007, a 85-8 loss to New Zealand.
Scrum-half Lucian Sirbu will match Paterson's achievement of involvement in four World Cups, equaling the Romanian mark set by current coach Romeo Gontineac.
Scotland: Paterson, Evans, Ansbro, S Lamont, Danielli, Jackson, Blair, Jacobsen, Ford, Cross, Gray, Kellock (capt), Brown, Barclay, Vernon.Replacements: Lawson, Dickinson, Hines, Rennie, Cusiter, Parks, R Lamont.
Romania: Dumitras, Ciuntu, Gal, Dimofte, Lemnaru, Dumbrava, Sirbu; Carpo, Tonita, Macovei, Petre, Ursache, Ion, Tincu (capt), Lazar.Replacements: Suman, Florea, Poparlan, Burcea, Surugiu, Cazan, Vlaicu.
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