Gregor Townsend Has Spoken

 

THERE you have it, the 39-man squad which Gregor Townsend announced this afternoon, from which the Scotland teams in this season's Guinness Six Nations will be selected.

The majority were expected to be there, but, as usually happens with Toony, he has plucked one or two rabbits from the hat in his selections.

For starters there are five uncapped players named: Saracen's back rower Andy Christie, Glasgow Warriors' Rory Darge, Edinburgh scrum-half Ben Vellacott, London Irish nine Ben White and his club mate, winger Kyle Rowe. Darge's and Vellacott's selection were widely predicted, the other three come into the Toony left-field variety.

In positions, the breakdown is:

• Loose-head props (3) – Rory Sutherland, Jamie Bhatti, Pierre Schoeman.

• Hookers (3) – Stuart McInally, George Turner, Ewan Ashman.

• Tight-head props (3) – Zander Fagerson, Wilem Nel, Javan Sebastian.

• Locks (5) – Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist, Scott Cummings, Sam Skinner, Jamie Hodgson.

• Back row (8) – Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Magnus Bradbury, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Josh Bayliss, Nick Haining, Andy Christie.

• Scrum-halves (3) – Ali Price, Ben Vellacott, Ben White.

• Stand-offs (2) – Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn.

• Centres (6) – Sam Johnson, Chris Harris, Mark Bennett, Sione Tuipulotu, Cameron Redpath, Rory Hutchison.

• Wingers (5) – Darcy Graham, Duhan van der Merwe, Rufus McLean, Kyle Steyn, Kyle Rowe.

• Full Back (1) – Stuart Hogg (Captain).

Perhaps of more interest is the omission of some guys who have hitherto been Scotland regulars. No place for Adam Hastings or Huw Jones, neither of whom has set the heather on fire, since summer moves to Gloucester and Harlequins respectively. Sean Maitland's lengthy Scotland career appears to have run its course, as perhaps has that of Fraser Brown, while the experiment of converting Ollie Kebble to a tight-head has, if not been abandoned at Scotland level, if it continues, will be with Glasgow. George Horne is another whose lack of club form has cost him his place.

All Scotland fans will surely be delighted to see Cameron Redpath back from injury, while Rory Hutchison's excellent form with Northampton has earned him a recall.

In the quality of player he has been able to leave out of the squad, plus the one or two others who could not be considered due to injury concerns, Townsend has shown that he now has alternatives and a degree of choice which perhaps no previous Scotland coach could enjoy.

Rugby's Tartan Army might be allowed to dream as we anticipate the start of the 2022 Six Nations.