After very good performances in the PRO14 final loss to Leinster, Glasgow’s Kyle Steyn and Scott Cummings have today been announced as the two final names in Gregor Townsend’s wider World Cup training squad.
It’s a big call to leave out a player with the pedigree of Richie Gray who has been back playing with Toulouse, but Townsend must feel that the extremely promising Cummings (22) is finally stepping up to the mark after forming a strong partnership with Jonny Gray for Glasgow late in the season.
Steyn (25) was always the most likely candidate to receive the spare backs place with none of his competitors (Matt Scott, Mark Bennett) in action this month. Nevertheless, it represents something of a meteoric rise from potential 7s-slash-academy prospect to potential internationalist.
Both players are currently uncapped.