Cornell du Preez gets Scotland call up
Head Coach Vern Cotter today named a 37-man Scotland squad for the forthcoming RBS 6 Nations Championship.
Among the group is 37-times capped Gloucester centre Matt Scott who – after missing out on selection in the autumn – has earned a recall thanks to a number of impressive performances for the Kingsholm club, scoring 12 tries in 18 games this season.
Cotter has also named uncapped Edinburgh Rugby forwards Simon Berghan (prop) and Cornell Du Preez (back-row).
Du Preez (25) is a popular figure in the capital, scoring 14 tries in 71 appearances. He became eligible to represent Scotland last year after completing three years of residency in the country.
Berghan (26) joined Edinburgh Rugby in 2013 and is eligible to represent Scotland through his grandfather, Andrew Davidson, from Stirling. The 20st, 6’3” prop has made 24 appearances for the capital club.
Berghan and returning Newcastle Falcons’ tighthead Jon Welsh are among the seven props named in the squad, with the national team awaiting the results of a scan this evening (Wednesday) that will confirm the availability of Edinburgh Rugby’s Willem Nel, who injured his neck in the club’s European Challenge Cup win over Harlequins on Saturday (14 January).
Scotland Head Coach, Vern Cotter, said: “It’s a well-balanced and exciting group that have played a lot of rugby together, know each other well and are ambitious to do well in a Scotland jersey.
“I think if we get our mind-set right we can be competitive and push for wins in every game in this campaign.”
He added: “When you look down the list of names from Greig Laidlaw as captain, a solid locking group that’s been together for a while, a familiar group of loose forwards who have played consistently well for their clubs, with John Hardie expected to return to fitness shortly.
“The backline gives us a little versatility with Huw Jones able to play several positions, as can Duncan Taylor, Duncan Weir returns alongside Finn [Russell] who’ll be working to run games, with settled back-three options available to us once again.”
Elsewhere in the pack the squad has a very familiar feel, with hookers Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Ford and Stuart McInally (both Edinburgh Rugby) named for the third campaign in succession.
Edinburgh Rugby’s in-form lock, Ben Toolis, has been added to the second-row stable, while the addition of Du Preez is the only new face in the back-row.
In the backs, captain Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester), Ali Price and Henry Pyrgos (both Glasgow Warriors) have all been reselected, while Edinburgh Rugby stand-off Duncan Weir joins Glasgow Warriors’ Finn Russell as the stand-off options.
Matt Scott is the only addition named to the centres although, while named, injury prevented Saracens’ Duncan Taylor from featuring in the autumn.
The back-three group of Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby), Sean Maitland (Saracens), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) and Tim Visser (Harlequins) is unchanged.
Cotter added: “We now prepare to enter the RBS 6 Nations and face our first opposition, Ireland, at home next month who are now ranked highly in the world, and deservedly so, after wins over New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, so it’s a tough start.
“I think the addition of bonus-points will probably open up the games a little more and I think that’s a good thing. I think we’ll see a little more play and perhaps a few more risks in the game, which is exciting.”
The squad will convene in Edinburgh on Monday (23 January) for a three-day camp at Oriam – Scotland’s sports performance centre – ahead of the national team’s opener against Ireland at BT Murrayfield in just over a fortnight’s time (Saturday 4 February, kick-off 2.25pm) – live on BBC.
SCOTLAND 37-MAN SQUAD FOR 2017 RBS 6 NATIONS
FORWARDS
PROP (7)
Alex Allan (Glasgow Warriors) – 3 caps
Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped
Allan Dell (Edinburgh Rugby) – 3 caps
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 caps
Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) – 15 caps
Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors) – 19 caps
Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons) – 11 caps
HOOKER (3)
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps
Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) – 102 caps
Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) – 9 caps
LOCK (5)
Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 28 caps
Richie Gray (Toulouse) – 60 caps
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) – 15 caps
Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) – 25 caps
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby) – 1 cap
BACK-ROW (7)
John Barclay (Scarlets) – 55 caps
Cornell Du Preez (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped
John Hardie (Edinburgh Rugby) – 13 caps
Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors) – 19 caps
Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 5 caps
Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) – 23 caps
BACKS
SCRUM-HALF (3)
Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester) – 56 caps
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap
Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) – 18 caps
STAND-OFF (2)
Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors) – 22 caps
Duncan Weir (Edinburgh Rugby) – 23 caps
CENTRE (5)
Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps
Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) – 19 caps
Huw Jones (Stormers) – 3 caps
Matt Scott (Gloucester) – 36 caps
Duncan Taylor (Saracens) – 18 caps
BACK-THREE (5)
Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) – 48 caps
Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby) – 2 caps
Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 26 caps
Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 31 caps
Tim Visser (Harlequins) – 28 caps
Not currently considered through injury: David Denton (hamstring, Bath Rugby), Alasdair Dickinson (foot, Edinburgh Rugby), Pete Horne (ankle, Glasgow Warriors), Rory Hughes (knee, Glasgow Warriors), Rory Sutherland (groin, Edinburgh Rugby).
thescotlandteam
Congratulations Cornell du Preez. He has turned out to be a very purchase by Edinburgh, has impressed me from the very first time he played for Edinburgh can remember clearly how well he played in that game and then how enthusiastically he spoke in a post match interview when he would have been really tired. Couldn’t understand at the time why another Super rugby franchise in SA didn’t get him from the Kings, but hopefully he will get into a match day squad and capped in this 6 Nations. When he is playing at his best he is a top player.
Looking quickly at the squad can’t see any glaring omissions of players I would have preferred to be there especially considering those listed as injured. Blair Cowan came into the team a few seasons ago but seems to have fallen out of favour, but there are good loose forwards there none of whom I would like to see left out and I haven’t seen him play for a while, a pity as thought he was a hard grafting player.
See the Scots are getting a bit of a South African feel about them
3 @ Lion4ever:
Hi Lion4ever 4 in the squad now and I think all 4 could have done the Boks proud if given a chance, Strauss and Nel were good enough before they left SA but were overlooked for the Boks. If they had stayed and developed as they have here and given a chance am sure Dell and du Preez could have done well for the Boks too. Liked what I saw from both Dell and du Preez from early on at Edinburgh especially as I hadn’t seen them before. Dell got an injury which kept him out for a while but he has come back well, although some folk here weren’t that impressed with him but not sure why, anyway he took his chance with Scotland with first choice Dickenson out and I think he showed up well in the Autumn Internationals and should have fewer detractors here as a result. Nel was out with a neck injury most of this season and had only recently got back playing only to injure something again, last I heard he was going for a scan but that was earlier in the week, haven’t been following the news too closely so don’t know the results of that or whether he will be able to play in 6 Nations so it could only be 3 SA people in Scotland team.
@ Lion4ever:
Just seen WP Nel has been ruled out of 6 Nations due to his injury.
WP Nel will miss the 6 Nation. Wish him all the best for his recovery, really hope he is ok, am afraid for a tight head prop to have such neck injuries is a worry:
“Scotland prop WP Nel has been ruled out of the Six Nations campaign because of a neck injury.
Nel, 30, had been included in head coach Vern Cotter’s 37-man squad for the upcoming championship.
However, a scan revealed that the Edinburgh tight-head damaged an intervertebral disc in his neck during a Challenge Cup tie against Harlequins.
The Scots open their campaign at home to Ireland on 4 February before travelling to France eight days later.
Nel, who has won 15 caps, will be assessed to decide whether he requires corrective surgery, Scottish Rugby said.
French Top 14 sides Toulon and Clermont Auvergne are reportedly interested in signing him, though Edinburgh say they have had “positive conversations” about keeping him in the Scottish capital.”
“Analysis
by Tom English
This is devastating news. Vern Cotter hinted that all was far from well with Nel earlier in the week, but the confirmation that he is now out injured again after less than half an hour of his comeback game is cruel on the player and cruel on Scotland too.
Nel is a world-class tight-head and was, until this latest injury, one of Scotland’s very few guaranteed Lions for the summer tour to New Zealand. With so much uncertainty around a serious neck problem – particularly serious for a prop forward – you have to consider him a major doubt for the Lions. For Nel, it’s a catastrophe on two different fronts.
Scotland played well in the autumn without him, but there’s no question that they are a better team when he’s around. He brings experience and solidity to the scrum and carries hard in the loose. Hopefully his recovery will go well. He’ll be a big miss.”
Another concern for me is that young Scotland tight head prop Zander Fagerson is getting a lot of game time at a very young age. Zander only turned 21 yesterday and since 2014 he has played 40 games for Glasgow, 19 for the U20s and 4 for Scotland senior team. He is a good player who will only get better but even though I have never been in the front row do think he has been pushed (probably due to necessity) too much too soon, but he is there on merit just concerned for his long term future.
Bullscot wrote:
I stand corrected Zander has already played 46 times for Glasgow, 11 of these games have been in the top European club competition.
Bit more than 5 minutes left: Edinburgh 49/3 Timisoara Saracens
Champions Cup: 69 min gone 24 all between Leinster and Castres
Cornell du Preez scored a try for Edinburgh who got 7 tries. The bonus point win guarantees they will end up on top of Pool 5 and so a home knockout match. Well done Edinburgh.
Leinster ended up drawing their match against Castres and so are in a strong position to host a quarter final match.
Jaques du Plessis scored a try for Jake White’s Montpellier in their Champions Cup game against Northampton Saints. 26/17 was the result with could be a decisive bonus point for Montpellier as they scored 4 tries. Catrakillis converted 3 of the tries.
GLASGOW WARRIORS ARE ON FIRE!
Halftime in Champions Cup: Leicester Tigers 0/31 Glasgow Warriors, 4 tries to Glasgow
Wonderful scenes from Welford Road as Glasgow Warriors qualify for the knockout stages of Europe’s top club rugby competition for the first time! Feels good tonight to be a Warriors fan
Final score: Leicester 0/43 Glasgow and it was only some flaws in execution by Glasgow in the end that prevented the half century
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