John Barclay will stay as captain but Gregor Townsend is optimistic that Greig Laidlaw will be available to play a full part in the majority of the NatWest 6 Nations to give Scotland “two quality leaders”.
The head coach named an enlarged squad of 40 players which included recalls for established players like Laidlaw – who last played for Scotland in Paris almost a year ago – David Denton, Jon Welsh, Mark Bennett and Duncan Taylor.
Laidlaw would have captained Scotland in the summer tour but for his call-up to the Lions, and Townsend added he have been skipper for the Autumn Tests had he not broken his leg. In his absence, however, Barclay had excelled as captain and would keep the job.
“He’s been a great captain for the team just as Greig was,” said Townsend. “Greig obviously hasn’t played for around three months now so that’s a big part of why he wasn’t named as captain, but also the fact that John has done such a good job.
“If and when Greig comes back to full fitness – and we really hope it will be next weekend – we’ll have two players in the squad who have captained the team very well in the last few years.”
Townsend wouldn’t be drawn on whether he considers the 32-year-old, with 58 caps and 582 points for his country, was still his first choice No 9 ahead of Ali Price.
“Greig was in great form leading into November, we understood it would be difficult going into a new environment in France with a different language but I was pleased with how he was playing,” he continued.
“He would have been our captain. We obviously don’t know where he is yet until he comes back and plays but our expectations are it will be tough for him to begin with, just to get that match fitness. He’s been training well this week and let’s hope he gets back to his pre-injury form quickly.”
The hope is that Laidlaw will feature for club Clermont-Auvergne in a Top 14 game prior to the 6 Nations kick-off against Wales in Cardiff on February 3. But while it may be that he and key men Stuart Hogg, Alex Dunbar, Ryan Wilson and Tommy Seymour don’t play before the Principality Stadium clash after recent injury absences, it’s not something concerning Townsend.
“We’ll have two weeks’ build up to that Wales game that will include some very tough sessions. So for those guys, it will be a chance for them to prove they are fit to play international rugby.
“Stuart played one game against Leinster prior to the autumn tests after a long injury break and played exceptionally well.”
Townsend has had to include two more uncapped props to cover the loss of as many as six to injury. Welsh – surely the favourite to start in Cardiff at tight-head – and Gordon Reid are recalled, while D’Arcy Rae and Murray McCallum get their first look.
McCallum, a Dunfermline RFC product and still just 21, has been picked to play on either side of the scrum, said Townsend, as he has been doing for Edinburgh this season.
Scotland’s catalogue of injuries doesn’t really compare to Wales, but while Townsend will keep his options open he doesn’t expect to see Ross Ford, WP Nel or Allan Dell for this Six Nations.
“Alasdair Dickinson maybe (will return), which would be a huge boost,” he added. “We hope Darryl Marfo, Scott Cummings, Tim Swinson and Zander Fagerson will be back during the tournament.”
Fraser Brown’s presence is still under question as he sees a specialist to identify a reason for recurring concussions, but Townsend has filled that gap with a recall for veteran Scott Lawson, now 36 and still doing a decent job for Newcastle in the Aviva Premiership.
“Given that we are missing at the moment two hookers who have played a lot of rugby for Scotland, and we have a couple of guys at prop who don’t have a lot of experience, Scott’s experience we believe will really help us,” said Townsend.
“The way Scott has played this season really fits with what we want to do with our game – he’s dynamic, he’s a low tackler and he’s got excellent set-piece accuracy – whether that is in the line-out or scrum.”
Townsend has been impressed by Richie Gray’s return to action after eight months out with Toulouse – “he’s played all 80 minutes of three games and played well” – and Mark Bennett’s two games for Edinburgh after a ten-month break.
“Mark has timed it right to get back into our thoughts,” he added. “He has done very well for Scotland in the past and we have real quality at centre and at second row.”
Blair Kinghorn is rewarded for his outstanding Edinburgh form with a call-up and Townsend is considering him for all back three positions because of his height and speed.
Glasgow’s Adam Hastings and two players who were in club rugby at the start of the season, Luke Crosbie and Darcy Graham, have been invited to train with the squad, but there’s no spot for George Horne, with Kinghorn maybe the best young player in Scottish pro rugby this year.
“George is somebody we could have invited, but we see him as someone who is very close to that squad so in a different category to those three,” said Townsend.
“He is playing regularly for Glasgow, there are parts of his game that really excite us – his work rate, his speed and ability to spot a gap.
“His passing has improved a lot, which is great for the future and already now. There are parts of his game he has to work on, especially coming into the 6 Nations, but that is just down to him getting more experience of managing games at Glasgow and he should get that over the next few weeks.”
Backs: Mark Bennett (Edinburgh Rugby), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons), Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby), Greig Laidlaw (ASM Clermont Auvergne), Sean Maitland (Saracens), Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Nathan Fowles (Edinburgh Rugby)
Forwards: John Barclay (Scarlets), Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby), David Denton (Worcester Warriors), Cornell Du Preez (Edinburgh Rugby), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Toulouse), Luke Hamilton (Leicester Tigers), Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), Murray McCallum (Edinburgh Rugby), Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby), Gordon Reid (London Irish), D’arcy Rae (Glasgow Warriors), Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby), George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby), Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors).
