BIG Vern Cotter didn't
pull any rabbits from his baseball cap when he named his squad for
the Autumn Tests this morning. Indeed, I reckon I would have got at
least 28 out of 30 if I had been asked to do the old “Chiefy”
Cameron (the late Alex “Candid” Cameron of the Daily Record)
trick and have the squad list in a sealed envelope in my desk drawer
even before it was announced.
The squad is:
HOOKER
Tim
Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) – 24 caps
BACK-ROW
John
Barclay (Scarlets) – 52 caps
SCRUM-HALF
Greig
Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester) – 53 caps
Henry
Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) – 18 caps
STAND-OFF
CENTRE
Mark
Bennett (Glasgow Warriors) – 16 caps
WING
Damien
Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby) – 2 caps
Sean
Maitland (Saracens) – 23 caps
Tommy
Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 29 caps
FULL-BACK
Stuart
Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) – 45 caps
In addition
Back-row Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby), centre Nick Grigg, wing
Rory Hughes and scrum-half Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) have been
invited to train with the squad.
Adam Ashe (foot), Kevin Bryce (shoulder), David Denton (hamstring),
Ryan Grant (back), Willem Nel (neck), Rory Sutherland (groin) and
Duncan Weir (jaw), were not considered due to injury.
As I said,
it was none-too-difficult to argue with BVC's selection. I am a wee
bit concerned at our lack of depth at prop. Alasdair Dickinson, if
fit, would have started at one, but, with the length of time he has
been out of action, he cannot possibly be match-sharp.
Gordy Reid
will probably be asked to start, although, Moray Low has been playing
well at loose-head for Exeter. I still feel, however, Low might get
the nod at three, given Zander Fagerson is still a bit up an down in
his play.
Allan Dell
has had to wait a wee while for his chance. He is very mobile, and he
certainly looked good against Harlequins at the week-end. But, he is
still third-choice loose-head at Edinburgh – is this sufficient to
be international class?
I often
wonder what Ben Toolis has to do to add to his single cap. I think he
is a better long-term bet than Tim Swinson. Indeed, I would also rank
big Frazer McKenzie of Edinburgh ahead of Swinson, but, BVC keeps
faith with the Glasgow man.
I think the
selection marks the end of the line for one or two players – Sean
Lamont, Pat McArthur, Blair Cowan etc. Matt Scott might yet add to
his caps collection, but, Ruaridh Jacksons failure to gt regular
games at Harlequins has told against him. The Edinburgh scrum-halves,
Sean Kennedy and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne also come into this temporarily
out of favour group.
Good to see
the likes of young Bradbury, the impressive Nick Grigg and Ali Price
getting a call-up. The interesting selection, I feel, will be for the
Georgia game at Rugby Park, when BVC will perhaps have the chance to
try a few things.
I SEE the
hand of incoming Glasgow coach Dave Rennie behind the Warriors'
signing of lock Brian Alainu'use until the end of the season.
Certainly, he's one big lump, and Glasgow are temporarily
short-handed in the boiler-house.
But, does
his Samoa Under-20 cap mean Big Brian cannot be considered a
“project” player? Is this purely a short-term signing? And what
message does this send to the likes of Robert McAlpine, who happily
filled-in for Warriors earlier this season, or to the several big,
mobile and keen young locks currently strutting their stuff in the BT
Premiership?
The way the
likes of Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts and the other SPFL
Premiership clubs have loaded their squads with cheap English and
foreign players, to the detriment of home-grown talent, has seriously
hindered Scottish football – I fear, with their recent signings
policies, Glasgow and Edinburgh seem to be going down the same wrong
path.
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