Summer Tour Squad

[Chunks Baws]

33-MAN SCOTLAND SQUAD FOR 2018 SUMMER TOUR
FORWARDS (18)

Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby) – 8 caps
Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps
Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby) – 2 caps
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 31 caps
Lewis Carmichael (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped
Allan Dell (Edinburgh Rugby) – 10 caps
David Denton (Worcester Warriors) – 39 caps
Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 16 caps
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) – 22 caps
Richie Gray (Toulouse) – 65 caps
Luke Hamilton (Leicester Tigers) – 1 cap
Murray McCallum (Edinburgh Rugby) – 1 cap
Stuart McInally CAPTAIN (Edinburgh Rugby) – 17 caps
Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped
Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) – 36 caps
George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 2 caps
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby) – 9 caps

BACKS (15)

Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 caps
Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons) – 2 caps
Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby) – 9 caps
Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) – 28 caps
Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) – 60 caps
George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 33 caps
Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors) – 32 caps
Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps
Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) – 2 caps
James Lang (Harlequins) – uncapped
Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks) – 3 caps
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 16 caps
Duncan Taylor (Saracens) – 21 caps

Unavailable through injury: Luke Crosbie (knee), John Hardie (back), Huw Jones (wrist surgery scheduled), Willem Nel (knee assessment / rehabilitation), Hamish Watson (shoulder).

[Chunks Baws]

I had to google James Lang. Any idea how he qualifies for us?

[Mikey Brown]

I’ll forego moaning about Scott. Simply isn’t playing for Gloucester so I guess there is nothing to select him on. Happy for Lang who is a good balanced player. Not sure if he s got he goods for the top level but I really like his attitude. Probably most similar to Horne of the known options.

Only 1 winger? I’m guessing we’ll see Harris there which I’m actually quite keen on. He’s a good, direct runner.

[Mikey Brown]

Ah. Missed Lee Jones. And I guess Kinghorn is considered an option there.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I do hate the alphabetical formatting. Anyone fancy fixing by positions?

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Allan Dell (Edinburgh Rugby)
Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors)
Murray McCallum (Edinburgh Rugby)
Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby)
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors)

Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby)
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors)
George Turner (Glasgow Warriors)

Lewis Carmichael (Edinburgh Rugby)
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby)
Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors)
Richie Gray (Toulouse)
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby)

Luke Hamilton (Leicester Tigers)
Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby)
Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby)
Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors)
David Denton (Worcester Warriors)

George Horne (Glasgow Warriors)
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby)
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors)

Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors)
Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors)
James Lang (Harlequins)

Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors)
Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons)
Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors)
Duncan Taylor (Saracens)

Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks)
Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors)
Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors)
Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby)
Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors)

Did I miss anyone? First observations are that we have shocking depth at wing and 7. I assume Visser was called up for this initially. Don't like the persistence with Swinson but it's a great squad otherwise.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Hoggy going makes sense - he hasn't played a lot of rugby this year so shouldn't need a huge rest.

McInally however... he has played an insane amount of rugby and I would have thought him top of the list of players to be rested. Could have taken Ross Ford? Or even a punt on Stewart...

[Big D]

If Rambo wasn't captain I'd have said he shouldn't be going. Post RWC the captaincy is up for grabs and he's a good option.

Options for depth at 7 aren't that bad. Watson, Hardie and Barclay are all excellent to solid 7s. Wilson can fill in too. All missing.

I'm mildly surprised Fagerson is turning rather than skippering the 20s.

What is the point in Swinson.

McCallum being asked to cover both sides is a big ask.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Aye they should probably have another prop in there.

Fair play to Toony for giving Hastings a chance. I've been baffled that Rennie has played him so little since he put in a really good showing during the 6N. Not exactly as if Finn has been setting the heather alight.

[Cameo]

Yeah, agree with basically everything that has been said. Big challenge but will be interesting. The only player I'm really disappointed is missing is Scott. Still it might be good for him to have a proper preseason with Edinburgh especially with Bennet not going either

[Mikey Brown]

Good points on McInally and Fagerson, as much I like watching both of them.

Unsure on Hogg and Dunbar. Both had a lot of time out but I don’t know if being injured is really the same as resting. Maybe it’s just that I want to see Kinghorn get some starts at 15.

[switchskier]

I’ll forego moaning about Scott. Simply isn’t playing for Gloucester so I guess there is nothing to select him on. Happy for Lang who is a good balanced player. Not sure if he s got he goods for the top level but I really like his attitude. Probably most similar to Horne of the known options.

Only 1 winger? I’m guessing we’ll see Harris there which I’m actually quite keen on. He’s a good, direct runner.

I'll have a moan for you then. I like Lang. He could become a good player and seems quite neat and tidy in the way that he does things. However he's an infrequent starter for the worst Quinn's team that there has been in years. I, not sure how he deserves the call up ahead of Scott who, as far as I can tell, was dropped when he decided to move back to Edinburgh. I do wonder if Toonie doesn't think that Scott's hands are good enough for thype of game that he wants to play.

I'm a little surprised to see Carmichael ahead of Cummings, a couple of months ago we thought that it would be the other way around, good decision though I think. Also surprised that there's no Maitland given the paucity of out and out wingers.

Backrow however is the one that looks weakest to me. Strauss seems off the radar and I assume that Ashe is injured again? Big ask of young Faegerson to play in Argentina, though the tour games should be fairly straightforward.

Still, looking forward to the Argentinian game. Two sides that loves to have a go, could be a cracker.

[Cameo]

Anyone know whether these will be televised?

[Mikey Brown]

I’ll forego moaning about Scott. Simply isn’t playing for Gloucester so I guess there is nothing to select him on. Happy for Lang who is a good balanced player. Not sure if he s got he goods for the top level but I really like his attitude. Probably most similar to Horne of the known options.

Only 1 winger? I’m guessing we’ll see Harris there which I’m actually quite keen on. He’s a good, direct runner.

I'll have a moan for you then. I like Lang. He could become a good player and seems quite neat and tidy in the way that he does things. However he's an infrequent starter for the worst Quinn's team that there has been in years. I, not sure how he deserves the call up ahead of Scott who, as far as I can tell, was dropped when he decided to move back to Edinburgh. I do wonder if Toonie doesn't think that Scott's hands are good enough for thype of game that he wants to play.

I'm a little surprised to see Carmichael ahead of Cummings, a couple of months ago we thought that it would be the other way around, good decision though I think. Also surprised that there's no Maitland given the paucity of out and out wingers.

Backrow however is the one that looks weakest to me. Strauss seems off the radar and I assume that Ashe is injured again? Big ask of young Faegerson to play in Argentina, though the tour games should be fairly straightforward.

Still, looking forward to the Argentinian game. Two sides that loves to have a go, could be a cracker.

Lang has been playing very well in a totally shit side and Roberts has only recently justified getting the 12 shirt ahead of him at all. I’d certainly like to keep hold of him at Quins. At the same time I don’t particularly see him as offering the things that Scotland need in the centre right now. He’s got quite a good turn of pace to go with his passing/kicking though.

The handling thing is interesting. It’s not particularly Scott’s game but I’d say his hands are better than Dunbar/Grigg/Harris. Taylor is a bit of an enigma but does some very handy stuff.

Strauss I had forgotten and that does seem like a big omission. I also would have had Ashe were he (ever) fit but would look at Strauss again if not, he seems to have finally settled in at Sale and is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Is Lang not a fly half who can play 12? Which pretty much answers why he's on tour. We need to look at options after Finn.

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah you’re right. I’ve just been watching Roberts being inept at 12 and wanting Lang to replace him all season, I’d sort of forgotten. More of a 10 than Horne certainly but a good 12 and can cover 15.

I’m very curious where Jackson is in the pecking order at 10. Is he 100% a fullback now?

[OptimisticJock]

Is Lang not a fly half who can play 12? Which pretty much answers why he's on tour. We need to look at options after Finn.

Considered the other way round by Toonie

https://theoffsideline.com/townsend-sti ... nd-graham/

[Cameo]

Is five backrow not quite short for a three game tour anyway? I suppose a couple of the locks can cover too. Real chance for a couple of those youngsters to at least push for a bench spot going forward

[switchskier]

Is five backrow not quite short for a three game tour anyway? I suppose a couple of the locks can cover too. Real chance for a couple of those youngsters to at least push for a bench spot going forward

Getting ready for a World Cup with a small squad. Flexibility is going to be important.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Is five backrow not quite short for a three game tour anyway? I suppose a couple of the locks can cover too. Real chance for a couple of those youngsters to at least push for a bench spot going forward

Carmichael at 6. We're short at 7 rather than across the back row I'd say.

[Mikey Brown]

I really hope it’s Ritchie pencilled in for 7 and not Hamilton.

[Cameo]

Yes, I was very impressed by Ritchie against Glasgow

[Croft_No.5]

Mark Bennett replaces Dunbar who has a hamstring injury

[Mikey Brown]

Bla bla bla Matt Scott but yeah I think Dunbar could do with a good rest and pre-season. Shame for him, but to be honest he’s at the point he really needs to prove himself again as a player before walking back in to the Scotland side.

[Big D]

I'd have taken Dean or Johnstone. The latter was better than Bennett last year.

But more because I think Bennett and Scott both would benefit from a proper preseason.