Scotland Training Squad for Six Nations

Robbo has done what most of us hoped he would and named Rob Harley in his training squad for the Six Nations, at the same time calling up Jack Cuthbert and Jon Welsh from the A squad. So congratulations to them. Details of both squads of players can be found after the jump.To be honest, it’s a pretty strong bunch of players but this will bu slimmed down further before we get any idea of what Robbo’s first match day 22 will look like. Beattie seems to have survived his venture into the British and Irish Cup and one imagines that once he is in the squad, then he has as good a chance as the next man to get a place in the team the next man in this case being Richie Vernon.

With Fergus Thomson bumped to the A Team, we should hope (politely) for Dougie Hall to train well. The four locks picked here may well be the four for the World Cup squad barring a miracled from Mackenzie, a recovery from Hamilton or an injury so competition for places should be intense from here until Hogmanay.

It looks like the choice at 12 is narrowed down to De Luca, Ansbro or Grove. Form is sketchy on all three, with Ansbro often playing out of position (and targeted by Edinburgh in defence last weekend) and De Luca just back from injury. Who would you play against Jauzion (or possibly some other Frenchman you have never heard of)?

Scotland squad for training camp at St Andrews beginning Monday 24 January:

Backs – Joe Ansbro (Northampton Saints), Mike Blair (Edinburgh), Jack Cuthbert (Bath), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Max Evans (Glasgow Warriors), Alex Grove (Worcester Warriors), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh), Rory Lamont (Toulon), Sean Lamont (Scarlets), Rory Lawson (Gloucester),  Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh), Hugo Southwell (Stade Francais) and Nikki Walker (Ospreys).

Forwards – John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie (both Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens), Geoff Cross, Ross Ford (both Edinburgh), Richie Gray, Dougie Hall, Robert Harley (all Glasgow Warriors), Nathan Hines (Leinster), Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Gloucester), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Scott MacLeod (Edinburgh), Euan Murray (Newcastle Falcons), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh) and Richie Vernon and Jon Welsh (both Glasgow Warriors).

Not considered due to injury: Chris Cusiter and Graeme Morrison (both Glasgow Warriors), Alasdair Dickinson and Jim Hamilton (both Gloucester) and Phil Godman (Edinburgh).

But that is not all, there is also the matter of the A Squad to contend with, which will be augmented with players from the senior squad as the Six Nations draws nearer.

Additional players for the Scotland A squad to prepare for game v Irish Wolfhounds, Netherdale, Galashiels, Friday 28 January, kick-off 7.30pm.  Admission to this game will be FREE.

Backs – David Blair, Ben Cairns (both Edinburgh), Colin Gregor (Glasgow Warriors), John Houston, Lee Jones (both Edinburgh), Peter Murchie and Hefin O’Hare (both Glasgow Warriors) and Jim Thompson (Edinburgh).

Forwards – Roddy Grant (Edinburgh), Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors), Alan MacDonald, Stuart McInally and Fraser McKenzie (all Edinburgh), Alastair Muldowney, Fergus Thomson and Ryan Wilson (all Glasgow Warriors).