Head Coach Gregor Townsend named three uncapped players in a 34-man Scotland squad for next month’s three-test summer tour, the first under his stewardship.
The national team will face their opponents on consecutive Saturdays, starting with an historic test match against Italy in Singapore (10 June), followed by Australia in Sydney (17 June) and Fiji in Suva (24 June).
Glasgow Warriors’ centre Nick Grigg, prop D’Arcy Rae and Edinburgh Rugby hooker George Turner are the uncapped men to tour and will look to add international honours to their senior club careers.
A qualified community coach, 22-year-old Rae represented Scotland throughout the age-grades and is a former pupil at Marr College. He won the Bill McLaren Shield, BT Premiership and BT Cup with Ayr, while coming through the ranks with the Scotstoun club.
Macphail scholarship recipient George Turner (24) joined Edinburgh Rugby in 2011 as an Elite Development Player, having represented Scotland throughout the age-grades. He made his first start in 14 appearances for the capital club against Dragons last month.
Grigg (24) signed for Glasgow Warriors at the start of the season having impressed for Stirling County as a BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy player.
The powerful Kiwi-born centre has made 21 appearances for the club since his March debut last year and has enjoyed a fine season with the Warriors.
The Scotland squad also welcomes the return of Pete Horne and Willem Nel from injury, while there are notable recalls for Glasgow Warriors wing Lee Jones, Harlequins back Ruaridh Jackson and Edinburgh Rugby scrum-half Sam Hidalgo-Clyne – who steps into the squad for Greig Laidlaw, recently called up for the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
Scotland Head Coach, Gregor Townsend, said: “We’re looking forward to what will be a challenging tour of three different countries, playing three quality sides.
“This tour is all about learning and competing. As a coaching group we will be learning more about our players and how they perform in a different environment against three sides with contrasting styles of play.
“We have assembled a strong squad, and this is an opportunity for them work with us for the first time. We’re going to have three week’s preparation in Scotland before we head overseas, which will enable us to implement the key components of how we will play.
“Ultimately, though, this is a tour that will be about competition – for each individual to compete for a starting place and for them to work hard and find a way to win every time they play.”
Scotland’s match against Italy will be the first tier one international to be played in the Lion City and looks to build on the success of their recent hosting of the HSBC Sevens World Series.
The second test will see the Scots return to Australia for the first time since 2012, when captain Laidlaw kicked a match-winning penalty to secure the team’s first win down under since 1982 (9-6).
The Wallabies edged out Scotland by a single point in the past two meetings; in Rugby World Cup 2015 (35-34) and the autumn test at BT Murrayfield in November (23-22).
Scotland will then travel to Fiji for the third and final test match.
It will be the third time the Scots have faced the Pacific Islanders on their home patch, with the nations honours-even from the 1998 test in Suva won by the hosts (51-26) and the Scottish victory in Lautoka in 2012, in which Tim Visser made a try-scoring debut (35-27).
Townsend added: “Playing Italy in Singapore will be a very different prospect than taking them on in Edinburgh or Rome. It will be a challenge for both teams to adapt to the new surroundings.
“Australia in Sydney in the afternoon is just an excellent fixture against a team that plays some great attacking rugby, while Fiji in Suva will be a huge test for our defence in an environment that we will very rarely play in.”
The draw for the Rugby World Cup 2019 will take place in Kyoto this Wednesday (10 May) and Townsend explained the game’s global showpiece is already a part of the selection process.
“The Rugby World Cup certainly features in our thinking as we prepare for this tour,” he added.
“We’ve looked at a number of players for selection for this squad and there are a few that have missed out on selection, some of whom were very close and will be in our thoughts as we move into next season and as we build towards the World Cup.
“The 34 players named today are selected not just for their form and what they’ve done in a Scotland jersey up to now but for what they can do over the next couple of years.”
Townsend also confirmed the appointment of Stuart Yule and Gavin Vaughan as national team S&C Coach and Analyst, respectively.
The pair join the Scotland backroom from Glasgow Warriors, completing the set-up under the new Head Coach.
SCOTLAND SQUAD – 2017 SUMMER TOUR
FORWARDS (20)
PROP (6)
Alex Allan (Glasgow Warriors) – 3 caps
Allan Dell (Edinburgh Rugby) – 8 caps
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps
Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) – 15 caps
D’Arcy Rae (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors) – 24 caps
HOOKER (3)
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 25 caps
Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) – 107 caps
George Turner (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped
SECOND-ROW (4)
Richie Gray (Toulouse) – 64 caps
Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 33 caps
Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) – 29 caps
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby) – 1 cap
BACK–ROW (7)
John Barclay CAPTAIN (Scarlets) – 60 caps
Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby) – 1 cap
John Hardie (Edinburgh Rugby) – 15 caps
Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors) – 19 caps
Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors) – 11 caps
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 10 caps
Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) – 27 caps
BACKS (14)
SCRUM-HALF (3)
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby) – 9 caps
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 5 caps
Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) – 21 caps
STAND–OFF (2)
Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 23 caps
Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors) – 27 caps
CENTRE (4)
Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) – 24 caps
Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
Matt Scott (Gloucester) – 37 caps
Duncan Taylor (Saracens) – 18 caps
BACK-THREE (5)
Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby) – 2 caps
Ruaridh Jackson (Harlequins) – 30 caps
Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 caps
Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 28 caps
Tim Visser (Harlequins) – 31 caps
Unavailable following British & Irish Lions selection: Stuart Hogg, Greig Laidlaw, Tommy Seymour.
Not considered through injury: Mark Bennett (knee), Alasdair Dickinson (foot), Huw Jones (hamstring), Stuart McInally (back), Rory Sutherland (groin)
thescotlandteam
Cape Town – The Springboks have been drawn alongside the All Blacks in Pool B for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan following Tuesday’s draw in Kyoto.
The Boks will also play against Italy in the pool stages, as well as a yet-to-be-determined Africa 1 team and the Repechage winner.
The final eight teams will only be confirmed following the continental qualification process, which will only be fully completed in November 2018.
It will be the first World Cup hosted by Japan and it will be the first time that the All Blacks and the Boks will meet in the pool stages of a World Cup.
@ superBul:
Full Draw:
Pool A: Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Europe 1, Play-Off winner
Pool B: New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Africa 1, Repechage winner
Pool C: England, France, Argentina, Americas 1, Oceania 2
Pool D: Australia, Wales, Georgia, Oceania 1, Americas 2
Bokke fans must be hugely relieved that they have avoided Japan this time around! 🙂 😉
Pool : C “The Pool of Death” for sure.
Poms, Frogs, Argentina, and possibly/likely Canada and Samoa.
Based on seeding and form, the following Teams would go into the Quarters: (this information pirated from Wales Online.)
Pool A – Winners: Ireland; Runners-up: Scotland
Pool B – Winners: New Zealand; Runners-up: South Africa
Pool C – Winners: England; Runners-up: France
Pool D – Winners: Australia; Runners-up: Wales
This would make the QF games;
Paddies vs Bokke.
The Good Guys (NZ) vs Jocks.
Poms vs Taffies.
Oz vs Frogs.
And Semi’s:
NZ vs …….. England.
Australia vs……Boks or Ireland.
And the Final………………………………..if all the planets are aligned, the Bookies are kept out of things, the Luck of the Irish fails to materialise, upsets are at a minimum……………we will have…………………..
Hey,
A All Black vs Springboks final.
Can’t wait. Bring it on.
So for SA to Win “Bill”.
They need to win against Italy in the Pool Stages. (minimum. Best if they beat NZ as well). This will be no problem.
Then beat Ireland. Australia and NZ.
This is a tough ask. (if results go the way of rankings.)
cane wrote:
Hi cane how are doing? Gosh surprised that you are supporting the Boks above your NZ team and rating the Boks chances of beating NZ.
@ superBul:
@ cane:
Thanks for putting up the draws, was in la la land when it was done, have put up an article with it up now. Also thought that England got the toughest pool, after the last World Cup they must be thinking the Rugby world is conspiring against them.
@ Bullscot:
Make no mistake Bully.
I’m 10,000% behind the All Blacks. Just as you are 50,000% behind your Boks.
Would be a fantastic Final on Neutral Ground.
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