This Would Not Have Been My Squad - But, It Will Do - I Hope

A WEE quickening of the pulse this lunch-time, as Gregor Townsend took the wraps off his Six Nations squad. The players named were:

FORWARDS (20)

Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks) - Uncapped
Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 28 caps
David Cherry (Edinburgh) – Uncapped
Alex Craig (Gloucester) - Uncapped
Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps
Allan Dell – London Irish – 32 caps
Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 34 caps
Gary Graham (Newcastle Falcons) – 2 caps
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 42 caps
Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs) – 61 caps
Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 65 caps
Oli Kebble (Glasgow Warriors) – 5 caps
Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 40 caps
Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – 23 caps
Grant Stewart (Glasgow Warriors) – 3 caps
Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh) – 11 caps
Blade Thomson (Scarlets) – 9 caps
George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 12 caps
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) – 36 caps

 

 

Stuart Hogg - again captains the side

BACKS (15)

Darcy Graham (Edinburgh) – 15 caps
Chris Harris (Gloucester) – 23 caps
Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) CAPTAIN – 80 caps
Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 26 caps
Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 25 caps
James Lang (Harlequins) – 5 caps
Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 50 caps
Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks) – 10 caps
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 37 caps
Cameron Redpath – (Bath Rugby) - Uncapped
Finn Russell (Racing 92) – 51 caps
Scott Steele (Harlequins) – 1 cap
Duncan Taylor (Saracens) – 28 caps
Jaco van der Walt (Edinburgh) – 1 cap
Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh) – 5 caps

It's not the squad I would have picked, regardless of the constrains Toony is operating under – being without his two front-line hookers, for instance. At the risk of having Scott's parents nip up the road and take me to task on this, I would have chosen Sam Hidalgo-Clyne ahead of Scott Steele, and Sam Skinner ahead of Grant Gilchrist.

I realise the centre selections must have been a close call. I applaud Cameron Redpath's change of mind, having previously got into an England squad. But Toony might also have given Rory Hutchinson a call – although, I feel his form has dipped a wee bit from when he was first capped. I also welcome the recall of Gary Graham and Richie Gray.

Traditionally, we go into the 6N with great expectations, which rarely bear fruit. Let's hope, this year, in what will be a very-different tournament from normal, we can see these expectations realised. It's maybe not the squad I would have chosen, but, it's a pretty good one for all that.