WORCESTER Rugby Club ace Ben Hinshelwood will win his sixth cap for Scotland in tomorrow's World Cup opener against Japan in Townsville.

The Melbourne-born 26-year-old will start at full-back, having completed an excellent recovery from a broken leg earlier this year to play just his sixth Test.

Scotland coach Ian McGeechan has brought prop Tom Smith back into his starting line-up after injury but left veteran fly-half Gregor Townsend on the bench.

Smith missed the Scots' last two warm-up matches because of a broken thumb but will be his team's most experienced front rower as he packs down with fellow prop Bruce Douglas and hooker Rob Russell.

But it is unlikely that the Northampton man will be asked to run through the full 80 minutes as McGeechan looks to spare his players too much exposure to the debilitating heat in Townsville.

"We want to use all 22 players if we can and spread the load," McGeechan said.

"We have still got to wait and see what the conditions are but we have tried to prepare everything for humid, hot conditions and have everyone up to speed."