Scotland will be without key players when they play the one-off Test match against the Springboks in Port Elizabeth.
New Scotland coach Vern Cotter has announced a double squad in order to cope with an arduous travel schedule, leaving some of the bigger names to play the North American leg of their tour only.
Players such as Chris Cusiter, Greig Laidlaw, Sean Lamont, Tim Visser, Kelly Brown, Richie Gray, Jim Hamilton and Alasdair Strokosch will only find themselves involved in the first squad to take on the United States and Canada.
Cotter’s reason for this is that some of his players will still be duty bound to French and English clubs with the Springbok match falling outside the Test window.
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“We’ve selected, effectively, two squads for our itinerary this summer taking into account Glasgow Warriors’ pursuit of PRO12 silverware and the fact that our match against South Africa falls out-with the IRB Regulation 9 window,” Cotter said.
With this being the case, the squad to face South Africa is devoid of any players playing outside the United kingdom and consists of a large contingent of Glasgow Warriors.
The Scots Southern Hemisphere leg includes a game against Argentina and rounds off with the Springboks on June 28.
There is some overlap with nine players finding themselves in both groups in order to be involved in all four games.
Forwards Gordon Reid, Pat MacArthur, Kevin Bryce, Moray Low, Geoff Cross and Grant Gilchrist and backs Alex Dunbar, Sean Maitland and Stuart Hogg are those who will be a part of both squads.
Within the two squads there are six uncapped players that join Cotter in his first season in charge.
Gordon Reid, Alex Allan, Kevin Bryce, Finn Russell, Blair Cowan and Grayson Hart all have a chance to get their first cap.
“I’m very much looking forward to starting work with the Scotland players as we begin our 16-match countdown to the Rugby World Cup,” said Cotter.
“We’ve included a mix of the battle-hardened and promising new talent and it will be good to see how players step up to tough and different challenges at the end of a long domestic campaign.”
Cotter will consider captaincy when the preparations begin for the North American leg of the tour next week.
Newcomer Finn Russell was understandably elated by his selection.
“It’s something I’ve been aspiring to all my life and it’s great to get this chance,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to the tour and the experience that I can gather from it.”
“Canada, as you’ve seen from the Sevens here in Glasgow, are improving all the time and America are getting better too, so every game on this tour is going to be really tough.”
Scotland squad vs USA and Canada: Alex Allan, Johnnie Beattie, Kelly Brown, Kevin Bryce, Blair Cowan, Geoff Cross, Grant Gilchrist, Richie Gray, Jim Hamilton, Scott Lawson, Kieran Low, Moray Low, Pat MacArthur,Gordon Reid, Alasdair Strokosch, Kyle Traynor,Chris Cusiter, Alex Dunbar, Max Evans, Tom Heathcote, Stuart Hogg, Greig Laidlaw, Sean Lamont, Sean Maitland, Finn Russell, Duncan Taylor, Tim Visser.
Scotland squad vs Argentina and South Africa: Kevin Bryce, Geoff Cross, David Denton, Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, Chris Fusaro, Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray, Rob Harley, Moray Low, Pat MacArthur, Gordon Reid, Tim Swinson, Jon Welsh, Alex Dunbar, Dougie Fife, Grayson Hart, Stuart Hogg, Peter Horne, Ruaridh Jackson, Sean Maitland, Peter Murchie, Henry Pyrgos, Tommy Seymour, and Duncan Weir.
Pity… but the Bokke must’nt relent… they must make sure they punish the Scotts for sending a weaker side!
Put a 100 on the board I say
Last year they sent a “weakened” side and gave the Bokke a hell of a scare 😯
Hopefully the Boks will remember that Test and seek to set the record straight. Just a shame they won’t get a chance to “welcome” Strokosch back to SA 👿
This is a difficult one for the new coach Cotter to juggle. Touring three continents with the added difficulty of some players not available for the last test against the Bokke due to the game being outside the international window and then also wanting to rest some of the Glasgow Warriors contingent for the first part with the PRO12 final on 31st May and the first test on tour the 7th June. Cotter will be hoping that none of the Glasgow players pick up any injuries in the final.
3 @ kaksioek:
Strokosch is one the first names I would have on my team sheet, am not sure my Scott Johnson didn’t pick him last 6 Nations.
A pity that Matt Scott is out injured, makes Alex Dunbar a key player in the centre and this is recognized by him being in both squads in spite of being involved on 31 mAY
kaksioek wrote:
Remember last year only half a ref saw only half their loosies at the breakdown, the rest had free reign
7 @ Gena_ZA:
If I remember correctly it was that squint Argie ref, Pastrana… fark he was diabolical!
1 @ grootblousmile:
As the game is outside the international window do we know yet whether the overseas based Springboks will be available for it? If not then Scotland will be facing a depleted Springboks team… Just the reality of the way the game has gone in the professional era.
Disappointing that with such a big squad of players chosen for Scotland there is no place for John Barclay or Ross Rennie, in my opinion Scotland’ top two opensiders when on form. Both of them are based outside Scotland now so if selected under the policy would have been in the first squad.
I think we may yet see changes to the Scotland squad for the matches against Argentina and South Africa, only three specialist loose forwards in it, guess Tim Swinson has been pencilled in to double up as a lock (which he is) and to cover loose forward (think he has done this once for Glasgow this season). To me that is a huge gamble to have so few loose forwards in squad for one test let alone two tests.
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