SCOTLAND have called four players into their training squad ahead of Saturday’s final match of this Six Nations campaign, with Glasgow Warriors hooker Fraser Brown, emerging Glashow prop Murphy Walker, Glasgow second-row Scott Cummings, and former Boroughmuir winger and Scotland 7s squad member Jordan Edmunds all being added to the mix.
Meanwhile, Glasgow second-row Kiran McDonald, Edinburgh second-row Glen Young and suspended Worcester Warriors winger Duhan van der Merwe have returned to their clubs.
Really not looking forward to seeing the score at the final whistle, the first half against Italy Townsend has managed to get Scotland back to playing like pre Cotter days, but don’t panic the top 4 in the SRU are paying themselves upto 1 million each, the highest paid top 4 in all the 6 nations, absolute disgrace
Blair Kinghorn at 10? Not sure if Townsend has found his position yet. Yes he sparkled in the Connaught match but there were a few loose passes. Think he’s a threat on the wing or even outside centre. Adam Hastings would be a better start at 10 with Kinghorn on the bench and Russell dropped. Hastings is a reliable all-rounder and who can forget the coolness with which he delivered that pass in the final minute against France last year?
I can understand why Maitland might not be in Gregor’s long term plans for Scotland, but in the absence of VDM he is still one of our best wingers/full back. He is a regular for Saracens and still scored tries for them and Saracens are a top English and European team. He has always delivered and to me this is an other of Gregors odd selections.
From a re-watch of the game Steyn was the only one I actually through had a bad one ..
Couple of critical missed tackles, 2 problem causing offsides and left for dust my the Italian winger causeing one of their tries …..
With all the players still held by Scotland it will be interesting to see Glasgow and Edinburgh’s second teams battle it out. Could they not have found another slot for the fixture?
Agreed, but at least both at a similar disadvantage, rather than up against nearly full strength Irish .. !
I echo that bring back Maitland
I like Jordan Edmunds as a player, but unless he has made an astonishing impression in 7s training he can’t be in this squad for anymore that holding tackle bags, surely?
I thought Kyle Steyn had a very mixed game on Saturday and wouldn’t have been surprised to see Sean Maitland recalled today to play v Ireland. The fact that he hasn’t been suggests the additional winger is only to hold tackle bags, and Sean didn’t fancy that.
Glasgow v Edinburgh on Friday night presumably means the pro team coaches want to keep as many players with them as possible, so they may have been reluctant to let Hoyland or Blain train for the week with Scotland.
Kyle Rowe is still in the 6 nations squad and I think is the only one of the 5 uncapped players originally called up to the squad still to be capped – Darge, Christie, White and Vellacott have all been awarded their debut caps – so he may get a place on the bench to reward him for his work.
I’m not surprised that McDonald and Young have been released back to their clubs with the game on Friday night, but I am a little surprised that Brown, Walker and Cummings have been called up, when all 3 of them might be needed by Glasgow. Jake Kerr, Darcy Rae and Alex Craig might have covered any gaps just as well
Cummings might well make it into the 23 as he adds something none of the others have. And is Alex Craig not injured? Brown – could go either way, suspect he adds something to the squad in terms of driving standards. Darcy Rae seems to have been getting good reviews at Bath, though, so might have thought he would have been included.