Well, We Ken Noo As The Scotland Squad Is Named

WELL, now we know. Vern Cotter has just announced the 31-strong Scotland squad for the Rugby World Cup. A lot of the names we already knew, since some of the guys were shoo-ins, but, he still caused a wee bit of a stir, none more than when he announced the last five names - his back row group.

BVC is taking us to the RWC with just one specialist open-side, and that man: "Kilted Kiwi" John Hardie, has had less than 80 minutes' exposure to Test Rugby, and doesn't even, at the moment, have a Northern Hemisphere club. No Blair Cowan, who has arguably been Scotland's best and most-consistent back-rower over the past year, and perhaps most-controversially - no John Barclay, the last of the "Killer Bees", who had an outstanding game against Italy on Saturday.

The Kiwi coach has opted for a 17/14 squad split - 17 forwards and only 14 backs. The squad named includes one uncapped player, the Glasgow talisman Josh Strauss, who, of course, does not become Scotland-qualified until 19 September, just four days before we open our campaign against Japan, in Gloucester.

In the backs, he has named just one full-back, shoo-in Stuart Hogg. Alex Dunbar, whose place has been in doubt as he battles back from injury, has failed to make it, while another long-term injury victim, British Lion Sean Maitland, has made it. He will probably deputise for Hogg, if needed.

The full squad is:

Backs:

Scrum-halves: Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow).

Stand-offs: Finn Russell, Duncan Weir (both Glasgow)

Centres: Mark Bennett, Peter Horne, Richie Vernon (all Glasgow), Matt Scott (Edinburgh)

Wingers: Sean Lamont, Tommy Seymour (both Glasgow), Sean Maitland (London Irish), Tim Visser (Harlequins)
Full back: Stuart Hogg.

Forwards:

Props: Ryan Grant, Gordon Reid (both Glasgow), Alasdair Dickinson and WP Nel (both Edinburgh), Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons)

Hookers: Fraser Brown (Glasgow), Ross Ford and Stuart McInally (both Edinburgh)

Locks: Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Castres), Jonny Gray, Tim Swinson (both Glasgow)

Back rows: David Denton (Edinburgh), Josh Strauss, Ryan Wilson (both Glasgow), Alastair Strokosh (Perpignan), John Hardie (unattached).

In BVC we trust, but, while Brown and McInally, not to mention Vernon, could all do a job at seven in an emergency, I feel the decision not to take either Barclay or Cowan could come back to bite us.

It will be interesting to see who makes the XV for Saturday's final warm-up game, in Paris, and then who starts against the Japanese. I think we will make the last eight, but, I think he has got the back row selection wrong, and this will harm our prospects.