Scotland coach Frank Hadden hoped the lock - his country’s most capped player - would join the squad in South America if his team, Montauban, won their league match against Clermont.

Murray came off the bench to help them to an 18-16 victory but Montpellier, their rivals for a Heineken Cup place, picked up a bonus point to keep alive the race for the top seven.

Murray was then told he could not join his Scotland team-mates, who arrived in Buenos Aires yesterday following a 16-hour flight.

Hadden said: “Scott phoned immediately on the final whistle on Saturday night to report that he was not being released by his club.”

The development means Craig Hamilton will stay with Hadden’s men rather than travel to North America to join the A squad for their Churchill Cup campaign.

He was provisionally added to the full squad on Friday alongside fellow lock Al Kellock, who continued his comeback from knee surgery by completing a full week of training.

Murray’s absence is a blow though with Hadden also missing Perpignan’s Nathan Hines, again through club commitments, and the injured Jim Hamilton from his second row.

Uncapped New Zealand-born lock Matt Mustchin was called up the previous week.

The squad undertook some light recovery work yesterday at their city centre hotel ahead of next Saturday’s first Test in Rosario.