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Townsend names five uncapped players in his 39-man Scotland squad
Gregor Townsend has named five uncapped players in his 39-man Scotland squad for the upcoming Guinness Six Nations, including Saracens back-rower Andy Christie and London Irish scrum-half Ben White. Rory Darge, Ben Vellacott and Kyle Rowe are also rewarded with call-ups ahead of Scotland’s first game of the championship on Saturday, February 5, against England.
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Christie represented Scotland at youth level, playing for the U16s, and the 22-year-old has played with Saracens since 2018, becoming a prominent figure for the London side. White, aged 23, signed for London Irish last year from Leicester Tigers and featured in their victory over Edinburgh last weekend.
Fellow London Irish player Rowe is also named in the squad having impressed in the Premiership this season, notably scoring a hat-trick against Saracens and was previously a member of the Scotland 7s and U20s teams. Darge and Vellacott have been selected due to consistently good performances at Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh respectively.
Following his memorable debut against England last year, Bath centre Cameron Redpath has recovered from injury and will once again be in contention ahead of the ix Nations opener. During the Autumn Nations Series, Ewan Ashman, Jamie Hodgson, Josh Bayliss, Javan Sebastian, Pierre Schoeman, Rufus McLean and Sione Tuipulotu all received their first Scotland caps and are included once again.
The squad will meet up at Oriam on Monday, January 24, for a training camp before reconvening the following week ahead of the Calcutta Cup clash. Fresh from claiming the top spot in Scotland’s all-time try-scoring list during the Autumn Nations Series, Stuart Hogg once again captains his country.
Head Coach Gregor Townsend has named a 39-man squad for the upcoming @SixNationsRugby
Read more ?? https://t.co/oAEtJHvlxG#AsOne pic.twitter.com/WrmtnbEred
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) January 19, 2022
He is joined by fellow British and Irish Lions adding their experience to the squad in Finn Russell, Ali Price, Zander Fagerson, Chris Harris, Rory Sutherland, Duhan van der Merwe and Hamish Watson. Elsewhere there are call-ups for Edinburgh back row Magnus Bradbury and prop WP Nel, who missed out on selection for the Autumn Nations Series as did Exeter Chiefs lock Jonny Gray who also returns.
Northampton centre Rory Hutchinson also earns a squad selection having not featured for Scotland in 2021. Townsend said: “When you look through the squad this is the most competitive I’ve seen it in so many areas and that is testament to the strength and depth we have.
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“We are able to call up several new players into the squad such as Andy Christie, Kyle Rowe and Ben White. We have been aware of all of the uncapped players for a while now and recently they have all experienced a breakthrough in terms of their performances at club level. A key part of the squad selection was rewarding form and that definitely applies to Ben Vellacott and Rory Darge who have been excellent for their clubs this season.
“We are delighted to be able to include Cameron Redpath in the squad after missing the last few months with injury. He managed to get a game under his belt prior to the squad selection so we’ll see how he performs for Bath and in our training over the next couple of weeks.”
SCOTLAND 2022 GUINNESS SIX NATIONS SQUAD
Forwards:
Ewan Ashman – Sale Sharks – 2 caps
Josh Bayliss – Bath Rugby – 2 caps
Jamie Bhatti – Glasgow Warriors – 22 caps
Magnus Bradbury – Edinburgh Rugby – 14 caps
Andy Christie – Saracens – uncapped
Scott Cummings – Glasgow Warriors – 21 caps
Rory Darge – Glasgow Warriors – uncapped
Matt Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors – 17 caps
Zander Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors – 42 caps
Grant Gilchrist – Edinburgh Rugby – 48 caps
Jonny Gray – Exeter Chiefs – 64 caps
Nick Haining – Edinburgh Rugby – 10 caps
Jamie Hodgson – Edinburgh Rugby – 3 caps
Stuart McInally – Edinburgh Rugby – 43 caps
WP Nel – Edinburgh Rugby – 43 caps
Jamie Ritchie – Edinburgh Rugby – 31 caps
Pierre Schoeman – Edinburgh Rugby – 4 caps
Javan Sebastian – Scarlets – 1 cap
Sam Skinner – Exeter Chiefs – 15 caps
Rory Sutherland – Worcester Warriors – 16 caps
George Turner – Glasgow Warriors – 20 caps
Hamish Watson – Edinburgh Rugby – 45 caps
Backs:
Mark Bennett – Edinburgh Rugby – 22 caps
Darcy Graham – Edinburgh Rugby – 22 caps
Chris Harris – Gloucester Rugby – 31 caps
Stuart Hogg – Exeter Chiefs – 88 caps – Captain
Rory Hutchinson – Northampton Saints – 5 caps
Sam Johnson – Glasgow Warriors – 21 caps
Blair Kinghorn – Edinburgh Rugby – 28 caps
Rufus McLean – Glasgow Warriors – 2 caps
Ali Price – Glasgow Warriors – 46 caps
Cameron Redpath – Bath Rugby – 1 cap
Kyle Rowe – London Irish – uncapped
Finn Russell – Racing 92 – 58 caps
Kyle Steyn – Glasgow Warriors – 3 caps
Sione Tuipulotu- Glasgow Warriors – 1 cap
Duhan van der Merwe – Worcester Warriors – 13 caps
Ben Vellacott – Edinburgh Rugby – uncapped
Ben White – London Irish – uncapped
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Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments