Vern Cotter has added three Glasgow Warriors players to the Scotland squad for this Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations match against France at BT Murrayfield (kick-off 3pm).
Centre Alex Dunbar, scrum-half Henry Pyrgos and hooker Fraser Brown have all recovered from injuries in the past fortnight to earn selection in the squad that will convene at the national stadium in Edinburgh tomorrow. Dunbar is not surprising after he was rested for half of the game against Cardiff and as a member of the original squad was always going to come back into the mix after recovering from the thigh strain and scoring on return against the Dragons. Matt Scott will have a MRI scan at the Spire Murrayfield Hospital today to assess the extent of the damage to his elbow in the match against Connacht on Friday but won’t, you imagine, be in contention. That leaves a choice between Dunbar, Bennett or Horne to partner Duncan Taylor in midfield.
Brown and Pyrgos were both part of Scotland’s Rugby World Cup campaign but injuries have ruled them out the tournament to this point. It will be welcome news to Cotter, at least to give more competition for the bench spots. Brown comes in for George Turner, while Grayson Hart makes way for Pyrgos who played his first game in over five months when he started on Sunday.
There is no place in the squad for either Blair Cowan or Sean Maitland who were released to London Irish unfit for duty, yet who both managed to play at the weekend. Also featuring for Irish was Greig Tonks who seems to have exited BT Murrayfield sharpish.
The matchday squad will be announced later in the week.
Scotland squad for 2016 RBS 6 Nations Round 4:
Forwards (20): John Barclay (Scarlets), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), David Denton (Bath Rugby), Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby(, Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Castres), John Hardie (Edinburgh Rugby), Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Moray Low (Exeter Chiefs), Stuart McInally, Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby), Gordon Reid, Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh Rugby), Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), Ben Toolis, Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors).
Backs (16): Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar, Grayson Hart (Glasgow Warriors), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby), Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Ruaridh Jackson (Wasps), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester Rugby), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Henry Pyrgos, Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Tim Visser (Harlequins), Duncan Weir (Edinburgh Rugby).