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Blair picks 17 uncapped players for Scotland, including five English-based forwards
By Sam Smith
Interim Scotland boss Mike Blair has named 17 uncapped players in a 37-strong squad for their upcoming summer fixtures against England A, Romania and Georgia. With eight Scottish players unavailable following their selection for the Lions tour to South Africa the summer squad combines youth and experience two years out from the World Cup.
The full group will convene on Tuesday, June 15, to prepare for the England A fixture on Sunday, June 27, with a smaller squad then travelling to Romania and Georgia for the two Test matches on consecutive Saturdays, July 10 and 17.
Of the uncapped contingent chosen by Blair, Luke Crosbie, Charlie Shiel (both Edinburgh), Rory Darge, Jamie Dobie, Rufus McLean, Ross Thompson (all Glasgow), Josh Bayliss (Bath) and Ewan Ashman (Sale) have previously spent time in the Scotland set-up.
For others, namely Sione Tuipulotu, Kiran McDonald, Cole Forbes (all Glasgow), Jack Blain (Edinburgh), Nick Auterac (Northampton), Javan Sebastian (Scarlets), Robin Hislop (Doncaster), Cameron Henderson (Leicester) and Jamie Hodgson (Edinburgh), the call-ups will represent their first taste of a senior international camp.
The squad retains experienced players as six – Blair Kinghorn, Matt Scott, Adam Hastings, Scott Cummings, Simon Berghan and Jamie Ritchie – have earned at least 20 caps to date.
Blair said: “We have selected a mix of genuine Test match experience and a number of players who have impressed in the recent past to warrant a place in a squad that will want to continue the positive progress we have built up on and off the pitch in recent months. England A, Romania and Georgia will each pose different and tough challenges and we will have to be operating at our best to enjoy success, continuing on from some promising performances during the 2021 Guinness Six Nations.
“With the next Rugby World Cup two years away this period gives us an opportunity to increase our depth in key positions and work with players who can put up their hands for international selection this summer, and beyond.”
SCOTLAND SQUAD (2021 summer series)
Forwards (22):
Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks) – Uncapped
Nick Auterac (Northampton Saints) - Uncapped
Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby) – Uncapped
Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby) – 31 caps
Jamie Bhatti (Bath Rugby) – 18 caps
Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby) – 14 caps
David Cherry (Edinburgh Rugby) – 5 caps
Alex Craig (Gloucester Rugby) – 2 caps
Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby) – Uncapped
Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps
Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors) - Uncapped
Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors – 13 caps
Cameron Henderson (Leicester Tigers) - Uncapped
Robin Hislop (Doncaster Knights) – Uncapped
Jamie Hodgson (Edinburgh Rugby) - Uncapped
Oli Kebble (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps
Kiran McDonald (Glasgow Warriors) - Uncapped
Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) CAPTAIN – 27 caps
Javan Sebastian (Scarlets) – Uncapped
Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) – 12 caps
Grant Stewart (Glasgow Warriors) – 3 caps
George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps
Backs (15)
Jack Blain (Edinburgh Rugby) – Uncapped
Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors) – Uncapped
Cole Forbes (Glasgow Warriors) - Uncapped
Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – 23 caps
George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 14 caps
Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby) – 4 caps
Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) – 25 caps
James Lang (Harlequins) – 6 caps
Rufus McLean (Glasgow Warriors) - Uncapped
Matt Scott (Leicester Tigers) – 39 caps
Charlie Shiel (Edinburgh Rugby) – Uncapped
Scott Steele (London Irish) – 4 caps
Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap
Ross Thompson (Glasgow Warriors) – Uncapped
Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) - Uncapped
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No because if it was a 1:1 correspondence it would have been 10 top14, 3 URC and 3 Prem. I did arbitrarily put a max limit per league at 8 because for me if half of the teams are from the top14 it will make no sense. I genuinely didn't think the discussion will go that way tbh as for me it is a details.
Go to commentsFoster should never have been appointed, and I never liked him as a coach, but the hysteria over his coaching and Sam Cane as a player was grounded in prejudice rather than fact.
The New Zealand Rugby public were blinded by their dislike of Foster to the point of idiocy.
Anything the All Blacks did that was good was attributed to Ryan and Schmidt and Fozzie had nothing to do with it.
Any losses were solely blamed on Foster and Cane.
Foster did develop new talent and kept all the main trophies except the World Cup.
His successor kept the core of his team as well as picking Cane despite him leaving for overseas because he saw the irreplaceable value in him.
Razor will take the ABs to the next level, I have full confidence in that.
He should have been appointed in 2020.
But he wasn’t. And the guy who was has never been treated fairly.
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