Scotland Six Nations squad 2022

[Tooting Carmen]

Scotland squad

Backs: Mark Bennett, Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Stuart Hogg (captain), Rory Hutchinson, Sam Johnson, Blair Kinghorn, Rufus McLean, Ali Price, Cameron Redpath, Kyle Rowe*, Finn Russell, Kyle Steyn, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Ben Vellacott*, Ben White*.

Forwards: Ewan Ashman, Josh Bayliss, Jamie Bhatti, Magnus Bradbury, Andy Christie*, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge*, Matt Fagerson, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray, Nick Haining, Jamie Hodgson, Stuart McInally, WP Nel, Jamie Ritchie, Pierre Schoeman, Javan Sebastian, Sam Skinner, Rory Sutherland, George Turner, Hamish Watson.

*uncapped

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Some context behind the selections.

10 takeaways from Gregor Townsend's Six Nations squad announcement

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend named a 39-man training squad for the Six Nations earlier today with a few curve-balls included

www.theoffsideline.com

 

[retired9]

What's everyone's thoughts for the team V Wales? Gutted to lose Ritchie he has been immense, do we run Darge and Mish together?

I am a Johnson fan he's been great for Scotland, feel that perhaps a Redpath/Harris pairing might bear more fruit though?

 

[g6mcg]

I'd love to see a Darge/Watson combination! Bradbury at 6 would probably make for a more balanced back row though.

Happy with either of Johnson or Redpath, but there's probably value in sticking with one for a few games.

 

[retired9]

Good point re Bradbury I hear he is in good form. Redpath from the bench for Cardiff maybe?

 

[g6mcg]

Yeah I think Redpath on the bench probably makes more sense than Tuipulotu.

Thinking about 6, might come down to Skinner vs Christie with Darge and Bradbury as long shots.

 

[retired9]

Happy with the pack otherwise? Sutherland, Turner and Fagerson are a good starting 3 for me, I don't feel like I've seen enough of Schoeman yet and Nel is not quite where he was a few years ago.

 

[g6mcg]

Yeah, agree the current front row is our best but the bench are actually pretty handy which is a nice change! Schoeman and Nel pretty key on Saturday, if Wales bring on weaker scrummagers they could exploit that.

My only major concern with the squad is Kinghorn as 10 cover. I understand the reasoning that you're backing Finn to play 80, but if he does go down you're pretty much throwing the game, and then Hastings won't have been training with the squad ahead of the next game which isn't ideal either. Kinghorn has looked better at 10 this year but still more at the level of being a competent club player.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

See Dave Cherry has been called up for Scotland - the try scoring machine!

Ashman went off with an injury for Sale on the weekend (looked like a popped rib from landing on the point of the ball when scoring a try) - presumably monitoring that but not writing him off yet (as he's not been released like Ritchie/Bayliss)

 

[retired9]

Yes maybe I am being unfair on replacements, I think Wales are a little less experienced in the front row so scrums might be a good area for us?

Good to hear Cherry getting the call, if not sooner then he might get a run against Italy. Imagine going into round 5 with 4 wins....

 

[retired9]

My only major concern with the squad is Kinghorn as 10 cover. I understand the reasoning that you're backing Finn to play 80, but if he does go down you're pretty much throwing the game, and then Hastings won't have been training with the squad ahead of the next game which isn't ideal either. Kinghorn has looked better at 10 this year but still more at the level of being a competent club player.

I don't dislike Kinghorn and he was an OK 10 in the Autumn but I don't quite see where he fits properly in the International side. Maybe another season or so will provide more answers but at the moment Hastings has to be the future beyond Finn?

Still want to see Horne and Hastings hit it big internationally, they were dynamite at Glasgow

 

[MikeTheNative]

Yes maybe I am being unfair on replacements, I think Wales are a little less experienced in the front row so scrums might be a good area for us?

Good to hear Cherry getting the call, if not sooner then he might get a run against Italy. Imagine going into round 5 with 4 wins....

Dillon Lewis just can't scrum at this level. Expect penalties to go against him.

 

[retired9]

Dillon Lewis just can't scrum at this level. Expect penalties to go against him.

Do you think missing AWJ had a big effect on Saturday Mike? Seemed to me that Wales needed a leader to steady the ship a bit (although may not have changed the result).

 

[MikeTheNative]

Do you think missing AWJ had a big effect on Saturday Mike? Seemed to me that Wales needed a leader to steady the ship a bit (although may not have changed the result).

I don't think it helped. Biggar is nowhere the captain that Jones or even Ken Owens is.
However their issues are much bigger than lacking leadership on the field.

 

[retired9]

Well Scotland fans how do we square that performance? The team selection seemed strong, just something never got going for us on Saturday and Wales proved once again to be a different animal when at home in Cardiff.

Is it too much to ask for the same level of reaction against France? It would certainly upset the apple cart to beat the frogs again....

 

[retired9]

I think its just come to me, the lack of someone to get the guys fired up is what made the difference. Wales wanted this win more than Scotland did and when you are that hungry it becomes very difficult to beat. If the same game was at Murrayfield I think the crowd might have given enough to get Scotland over the line.

England had Johno, PoC for Ireland, somebody in the forwards needed to stand up and give the lads a bloody earful in that game and kicked them up the behind. Showing some grit might have got us there.

Richie was missed I feel.

 

[g6mcg]

Yeah maybe. I agree we missed Ritchie but that game was lost more in lack of focus than lack of desire. Lots of handling errors and poor discipline cost us. Some of the latter came from Welsh pressure and is fairly inevitable but we gave away a lot of pointless penalties too.

 

[retired9]

Can't dispute that, the penalty count was a big problem and really kept Wales alive feeding of our mistakes.

 

[Jakedood]

I actually think Ritchie was a massive loss, it seemed like when Wales got the ball, they never really looked troubled at the breakdown, an area Ritchie and Watson as a combination have really thrived in. Skinner couldnt provide anything like the same effect and as such, the Scots lost a vital contest

 

[retired9]

Look like Sutherland may be out of the Tournament sadly