Scotland head coach Vern Cotter has reduced his World Cup squad to 39 ahead of next week’s final cut by sending seven domestic-based players back to their clubs.
The Scots headed to St Andrews yesterday for a four-day camp ahead of the third warm-up match against Italy at Murrayfield on Saturday but without the seven that include four players who made their first appearance or start for Scotland against the Italians in the victory in Turin at the weekend.
The most notable omission is probably Glasgow’s Mike Cusack, the English-born tight-head prop who completed his three year residency period to qualify for Scotland, made his debut in the opening warm-up against Ireland in Dublin as a replacement and had his first start on Saturday.
He and Rory Hughes, the wing who won his first cap in Turin, are rejoining the Warriors as they head for Canada to play their national team in Nova Scotia this weekend.
Josh Strauss, who does not qualify through residency until the tournament begins, is also going on that trip for some game time but remains within Cotter’s squad. Kevin Bryce, called up as a precaution when Stuart McInally suffered a stomach bug before the Dublin game, has also been returned to the Warriors
Five Edinburgh players are being sent back to the capital club, only two of whom, openside Hamish Watson and wing Damien Hoyland, saw some on-field time during the first two warm-up games, both as replacements on Saturday. Prop Allan Dell, wing Dougie Fife and lock Ben Toolis were not used in Dublin or Turin.
Cotter said: “I’d like to thank the players for all their hard work throughout what has been a very tough pre-season campaign.
“Their commitment to improving as individuals and to our collective endeavor has been exceptional, and has made this a very tough decision.”
“They are understandably disappointed to miss out at this stage, however they have done themselves proud with their performances in training and the two Test matches.”
Cotter added that all seven would continue be monitored in case of injury problems developing during the tournament itself.
The 39 left in the squad will be cut further to 31 in a week, but with Cusack omitted it appears Jon Welsh and WP Nel are now certainties to be the two tight-heads. Scotland are still waiting on Ryan Grant’s long-term prognosis to his ankle injury sustained in Dublin.
The prospects of Alex Dunbar (knee) and Sean Maitland (shoulder) taking part in the tournament are still uncertain, but they remain with the squad at the moment, as does veteran scrum-half Chris Cusiter, who has spent no time in training camp because of family commitments.
Extended Scotland squad:
Props: Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby), Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors), Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby), Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors), Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons)
Hookers: Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby), Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby)
Second-row: Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Castres), Jim Hamilton (Saracens), Robert Harley (Glasgow Warriors)
Back-row: Adam Ashe (Glasgow Warriors), John Barclay (Scarlets), Hugh Blake (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Cowan (London Irish), David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby), John Hardie (unattached), Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors), Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) 9 caps
Scrum-half: Chris Cusiter (Sale Sharks), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby), Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors)
Stand-off: Ruaridh Jackson (Wasps), Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors)
Centre: Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby), Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors)
Back-three: Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Maitland (London Irish), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Tonks (Edinburgh Rugby), Tim Visser (Harlequins)