Gary Armstrong yesterday reclaimed the Scotland captaincy when old rival Bryan Redpath was ruled out of the side to meet Wales at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Redpath's damaged ankle has failed to respond quickly enough to treatment. He is expected to have a good chance of being fit for the trip to Twickenham later this month, but fellow-Borderer Iain Fairley has been drafted into the squad for the Five Nations Championship opener.

Fairley's promotion from the A team sees Graeme Burns promoted into their starting line-up, with his former Edinburgh district colleague Graham Beveridge called onto the bench for that match at Myreside on Friday.

The battle for the No.9 jersey having held the key to the captaincy in recent times - Andy Nicol also leading Scotland last season - Redpath had looked firm favourite to continue in the job after first being given it in the autumn.

That seemed to be at least semi-official when he was sent as Scotland's representative last week to a photo-call in London to launch the Five Nations - the other four countries all represented by their captains. However, Scotland manager Arthur Hastie would not accept yesterday that the ankle injury - not a chipped bone as was originally feared, but a sufficiently severe sprain to rule him out - had forced a complete change of plan.

''Everyone was assuming that Bryan was in, but the team was not going to be announced until Thursday,'' he said.

Clearly, the ever-combative Armstrong had by no means given up on a repeat of last season, when he led Scotland through the championship.

''The team hadn't been picked,'' he said. ''I was hoping I'd make it into the starting line-up. It's just unfortunate that Bryan got injured and I got in this way.''

Nor will the selectors admit, apparently, that a mistake might have been made in allowing such a potentially key player to be risked in a meaningless match in Wales.

After all, while Redpath played for Edinburgh Reivers in the Welsh Challenge Trophy third place play-off, Wales coach Graham Henry demonstrated his opinion of the competition's importance by withdrawing his squad members from the Pontypridd and Llanelli sides contesting the final.

''We always wanted Bryan to have games,'' explained Hastie. ''His fitness was still, to some extent, in doubt as far as the selectors were concerned.''

As it is, Scotland are hardly left exposed by reintroducing one of the finest scrum-halves ever to represent his country, Armstrong himself noting that Newcastle Falcons' more open style of play this season had helped him adapt his game to the style Scotland's coaches are hoping to play.

That observation was seized on by backs' coach John Rutherford, who spoke glowingly of the flexibility Armstrong brings, along with his experience of more than a decade of Test rugby.

''Gary is lucky in that he can play two or three different types of game,'' he said. ''I think since he turned professional there's no doubt that his passing game has improved beyond recognition, and I don't think it's any secret that we're trying to play the game a bit wider. To do that you need a scrum-half who can pass well, and Gary can fit into our system.''

For all Redpath's play-making qualities, Armstrong may be the best defensive scrum-half in the game, and he knows that his ability in that department is likely to be tested to the full.

''Rob Howley is one of the best scrum-halves in the world just now and he's a man we have to keep a close eye on, and it's up to me to try to do that,'' he said.

However, that Armstrong is just the man for the task could hardly have been better demonstrated than in the way he attempted to pay a further compliment to the Welshman.

''His all-round game's better than Van Zint,'' he said referring, apparently, to South Africa's much vaunted Joost Van Der Westhuizen.

If that sort of comment helps reinforce the way Scotland's senior players will ensure that no-one is star-struck, Rutherford acknowledged the quality of the Welsh back division.

''I've looked very closely at all the back divisions from the other four countries, and Wales would be as good as any, certainly in the midfield and at scrum-half,'' he said, referring to their quartet of British Lions - Howley, Neil Jenkins, Scott Gibbs and Allan Bateman.

''They don't scare us, but they're very good players.''

Although the Welsh backs are formidable, their pack doesn't carry quite the same sort of reputation.

Scotland forwards' coach Hugh Campbell said: ''They've got a solid front-row, but I don't know much yet about the second-row from Pontypridd. They've brought in, Ian Gough, but their back-row are very competent too, so they'll be a good outfit.''

That said, Campbell is also aware that Scotland are hardly at full strength up front with tighthead prop Matt Proudfott and flanker Gordon Simpson missing.

''We would have liked to have had the opportunity to pick from a fully fit squad, but the replacements we have at our disposal are of a very high calibre,'' he said.

q As well as losing Iain Fairley to the senior side, Scotland A have been forced into two further changes for Friday's meeting with the Welsh. Full-back Stuart Lang and centre Ronnie Eriksson have both suffered rib injuries and are replaced in the side by Hugh Gilmour and French-based James McLaren, whose former Stirling County team-mate Ian Jardine takes his place on the bench.