2025 Six Nations

[BaldiePete]

Anyone know when the squad announcement will be? Wales have already announced their squad and England are about to announce theirs. Presumably it’ll be this week sometime.

The squad is fairly settled, but there may be players invited to the camp to see how they go. There’s been so much speculation about Fergus Burke it’s no longer going to be a surprise if he’s selected. Assuming Finn doesn’t get injured, he’ll end up getting 10 minutes off the bench to tie him to us for the next three years. If not, he’ll get a cap in the summer. Assuming he’s interested of course. I’d hope Muncaster will be in the squad and there’s Glasgow players such as Jack Mann and Alex Samuel who could be looked at.

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah I couldn't see any suggestion of when the squad is announced.

It's a very settled squad at this point and I can't think of many potential new selections outside of Burke and those you mentioned. The prop selections feel more like desperation than having to choose between multiple good options.

The Burke situation is weird, particularly given Healey's trajectory over the last year or two and Jordan quite mphatically leap-frogging him. Russell was fantastic at the weekend and having a genuine 10/12/15 option on the bench in Jordan is very appealing.

[septic 9]

Yeah I couldn't see any suggestion of when the squad is announced.

tomorrow I think

[BaldiePete]

Tom English on the BBC website has confirmed it is tomorrow.

[Cameo]

Think Muncaster is out unfortunately. As you say, unlikely to be too many surprises. Expect Burke to be in but a waste of a bench option if we can have Jordan instead.

[sharvey44]

Scotland squad for the 2025 Guinness Six Nations (caps in brackets):

Forwards (22)

Ewan Ashman – Edinburgh Rugby (22)
Josh Bayliss – Bath Rugby (10)
Jamie Bhatti – Glasgow Warriors (35)
Gregor Brown – Glasgow Warriors (4)
Dave Cherry – Edinburgh Rugby (11)
Luke Crosbie – Edinburgh Rugby (12)
Scott Cummings – Glasgow Warriors (42)
Rory Darge – Vice-Captain – Glasgow Warriors (25)
Jack Dempsey – Glasgow Warriors (22)
Matt Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (50)
Zander Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (70)
Grant Gilchrist – Edinburgh Rugby (75)
Jonny Gray – Bordeaux Bègles (77)
Patrick Harrison – Edinburgh Rugby (3)
Will Hurd – Leicester Tigers (4)
Jack Mann – Glasgow Warriors (uncapped)
D’Arcy Rae – Edinburgh Rugby (2)
Dylan Richardson – The Sharks (6)
Jamie Ritchie – Edinburgh Rugby (54)
Pierre Schoeman – Edinburgh Rugby (37)
Rory Sutherland – Glasgow Warriors (37)
Marshall Sykes – Edinburgh Rugby (1)

Backs (15)

Fergus Burke – Saracens (uncapped)
Matt Currie – Edinburgh Rugby (4)
Jamie Dobie – Glasgow Warriors (9)
Darcy Graham – Edinburgh Rugby (42)
George Horne – Glasgow Warriors (34)
Rory Hutchinson – Northampton Saints (8)
Huw Jones – Glasgow Warriors (53)
Tom Jordan – Glasgow Warriors (3)
Blair Kinghorn – Toulouse (55)
Stafford McDowall – Glasgow Warriors (8)
Finn Russell – Vice-Captain – Bath Rugby (82)
Kyle Rowe – Glasgow Warriors (9)
Sione Tuipulotu – Captain – Glasgow Warriors (30)
Duhan van der Merwe – Edinburgh Rugby (44)
Ben White – Toulon (24)

[Mikey Brown]

No Steyn, Price, Hiddlestone or Henderson.

[Mikey Brown]

Forwards

Jamie Bhatti – Glasgow Warriors (35)
Pierre Schoeman – Edinburgh Rugby (37)
Rory Sutherland – Glasgow Warriors (37)

Ewan Ashman – Edinburgh Rugby (22)
Dylan Richardson – The Sharks (6)
Dave Cherry – Edinburgh Rugby (11)
Patrick Harrison – Edinburgh Rugby (3)

Zander Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (70)
Will Hurd – Leicester Tigers (4)
D’Arcy Rae – Edinburgh Rugby (2)

Scott Cummings – Glasgow Warriors (42)
Grant Gilchrist – Edinburgh Rugby (75)
Jonny Gray – Bordeaux Bègles (77)
Marshall Sykes – Edinburgh Rugby (1)

Gregor Brown – Glasgow Warriors (4)
Josh Bayliss – Bath Rugby (10)
Jamie Ritchie – Edinburgh Rugby (54)
Luke Crosbie – Edinburgh Rugby (12)
Rory Darge – Vice-Captain – Glasgow Warriors (25)

Jack Dempsey – Glasgow Warriors (22)
Matt Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (50)
Jack Mann – Glasgow Warriors (uncapped)

Backs

Ben White – Toulon (24)
Jamie Dobie – Glasgow Warriors (9)
George Horne – Glasgow Warriors (34)

Finn Russell – Vice-Captain – Bath Rugby (82)
Tom Jordan – Glasgow Warriors (3)
Fergus Burke – Saracens (uncapped)

Sione Tuipulotu – Captain – Glasgow Warriors (30)
Stafford McDowall – Glasgow Warriors (8)
Rory Hutchinson – Northampton Saints (8)
Huw Jones – Glasgow Warriors (53)
Matt Currie – Edinburgh Rugby (4)

Duhan van der Merwe – Edinburgh Rugby (44)
Darcy Graham – Edinburgh Rugby (42)
Kyle Rowe – Glasgow Warriors (9)
Blair Kinghorn – Toulouse (55)

[Mikey Brown]

Very light on the back 3. Why not just have Steyn cover centre, especially when we're very unlikely to stray much from Huwipulotu.

Edit - injured apparently.

[Croft_No.5]

Wing is covered with Kinghorn able to play wing, FB covered having Rowe, Jordan, Jones and to an extent Hutchinson there. Dobie also can cover wing at a push.

[Croft_No.5]

Steyn would probably be in is not injured

[BaldiePete]

Starting 15 from that squad.

Schoeman
Ashman
Fagerson
Gilchrist
Cummings
Ritchie
Darge
Fagerson
Horne
Russell
DVDM
Tuipolotu
Jones
Graham
Kinghorn

Sutherland
Richardson
Hurd
Gray
Bayliss or Crosbie
Dobie
Jordan
Rowe

If Dempsey is considered to be fit enough, put him at 8, move Fagerson to 6 and drop Ritchie completely.

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah, not too much to debate there but still wish there was a bit more pace or carrying power up front.

The front row and Fagerson are having to do a huge amount of the impactful carrying.

[Cameo]

Main surprise for me is at hooker. I think Hiddlestone is ahead of both Harrison and Cherry, but Townsend seems to have reservations.

I'm also a little surprised that Sykes is in ahead of Henderson or Samuel. I suppose Samuel has just come back and Henderson may benefit more from a run of games at Leicester. I do enjoy the comments from the usual crowd on The Offside Line. Whoever is not picked has been 'tearing up trees for x'. I'm confident these people haven't actually been watching.

[Adder]

What is a successful campaign for you guys?

"Success" would be top 2. 3 is a pass. Expectations are high so likely to finish 5th.

I believe a Dupont led France are the likely winners.

[septic 9]

Main surprise for me is at hooker. I think Hiddlestone is ahead of both Harrison and Cherry, but Townsend seems to have reservations.

I'm also a little surprised that Sykes is in ahead of Henderson or Samuel. I suppose Samuel has just come back and Henderson may benefit more from a run of games at Leicester. I do enjoy the comments from the usual crowd on The Offside Line. Whoever is not picked has been 'tearing up trees for x'. I'm confident these people haven't actually been watching.

agree on Hiddlestone. He also has a far higher ceiling than the others IMHO, including Ashman

Sykes an odd one. Huge potential, never fulfilled and is the one left field selection in the squad I think. I'm not yet convinced by Henderson but bar bulk Sykes offers little except occasional indiscipline. Big chance for him. Samuel didn't miss many games, Williamson has but has re-injured the thumb he broke v SA and will miss the whole 6N. Huge loss for Scotland and Warriors

[Cameo]

I really can't decide how it'll go this year.

Italy will be better than ever but we should still beat them at home. I'll try not to get too worried if it's not convincing.

Ireland have our number but there are signs of vulnerability. They are old and are perhaps becoming over reliant on Leinster (23 out of a 36 man squad). I have a sneaky feeling we might do it at home.

England away. I'm not confident. I think they might be quite good this year. If they get a role on physically, I think it'll be hard to get into the game. We might do it, but will need sone things to go our way.

Wales at home, I think we have. Them and Italy are the two teams that I think we are just better than player for player.

France away as final match of the tournament seems unlikely but it maybe depends on the circumstances. A few times, those final games involving France have turned into strange gmes either because there is nothing in if for France or because there is points difference involved. France are also a bit of a weird team. Very good in spells but prone to drifting.

[sharvey44]

I'm gonna say it...

Grand Slam year. Good win v Italy, sneak a win v Ireland at home, down to the library to put away England...again, batter Wales and then finish up in Paris and sneak it at the end v France.

Get your Grand Slam 2025 t-shirt order in now.

[BaldiePete]

I’m offering no hostages to fortune by making any predictions.

[BaldiePete]

Tuipolotu not playing for Glasgow this weekend, but he’s not listed as injured so hopefully he’s just being rested, although this seems like a strange match to rest him.

[paddy no 11]

Tuipolotu not playing for Glasgow this weekend, but he’s not listed as injured so hopefully he’s just being rested, although this seems like a strange match to rest him.

Ye beat Ireland as long as this fella takes the field

[Donny osmond]

Are you even Scottish?

gonna say it...

Grand Slam year. Good win v Italy, sneak a win v Ireland at home, down to the library to put away England...again, batter Wales and then finish up in Paris and sneak it at the end v France.

Get your Grand Slam 2025 t-shirt order in now.

[switchskier]

I'm gonna say it...

Grand Slam year. Good win v Italy, sneak a win v Ireland at home, down to the library to put away England...again, batter Wales and then finish up in Paris and sneak it at the end v France.

Get your Grand Slam 2025 t-shirt order in now.

Lose to a suddenly good Italy (who still get beat by 35 in Twickenham), get blown out up front by Ireland, get things back on track at Twickenham, survive a scare against Wales and get hammered by a motivated France, playing with 14 for most of the match.

Coaches, players, pundits and fans say that we'll be contenders in the 2026 6N.

[Donny osmond]

I'm gonna say it...

Grand Slam year. Good win v Italy, sneak a win v Ireland at home, down to the library to put away England...again, batter Wales and then finish up in Paris and sneak it at the end v France.

Get your Grand Slam 2025 t-shirt order in now.

Lose to a suddenly good Italy (who still get beat by 35 in Twickenham), get blown out up front by Ireland, get things back on track at Twickenham, survive a scare against Wales and get hammered by a motivated France, playing with 14 for most of the match.

Coaches, players, pundits and fans say that we'll be contenders in the 2026 6N.

Much more like it

[BaldiePete]

Tuipolotu not playing for Glasgow this weekend, but he’s not listed as injured so hopefully he’s just being rested, although this seems like a strange match to rest him.

Ye beat Ireland as long as this fella takes the field

I refer you back to my previous comment.

I’m offering no hostages to fortune by making any predictions.