Vern Cotter has finalised his group of 31 Scotland players to take to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England. Greig Laidlaw captains the squad, that contains 17 forwards and 14 backs.
There is no room for Jim Hamilton, with Tim Swinson a surprised selection ahead of him in the engine room, while John Barclay – so influential in the win over Italy at the weekend – is nowhere to be seen. The uncapped Josh Strauss and one-capped John Hardie are included instead.
In the backs, Cotter has found space for three scrum-halves which means both Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Henry Pyrgos will keep the pressure on Laidlaw, while Richie Vernon’s remarkable re-birth as a centre is complete.
SCOTLAND SQUAD FOR THE 2015 RUGBY WORLD CUP
Forwards: Alasdair Dickinson, Ryan Grant, Gordon Reid, Willem Nel, Jon Welsh, Fraser Brown, Ross Ford, Stuart McInally, Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray, Richie Gray, Tim Swinson, Dave Denton, Josh Strauss, Alasdair Strokosch, John Hardie, Ryan Wilson
Backs: Greig Laidlaw, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Henry Pyrgos, Finn Russell, Duncan Weir, Matt Scott, Richie Vernon, Mark Bennett, Peter Horne, Sean Maitland, Sean Lamont, Tim Visser, Tommy Seymour, Stuart Hogg
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No Ruaridh Jackson is surprising, otherwise it’s a fairly unsurprising squad. Quarters after squeaking past an out-of-sorts Samoa seems a fair call.
Couldn’t agree more, to be fair I think the draw was generous in giving them a semi’s.
Tim Swinson and Strokosh selected over John Barclay and Blair Cowan is madness. How can you choose Glasgow’s 4th choice lock last season (Al Kellock, Leone Nakarawa and Jonny Gray all better) and a man far past his best playing his rugby in the second tier over the two best flankers in Scottish rugby. It makes no sense. However I trust Vern to make the choices he feels are the best and I am confident Scotland will perform at this World Cup.
First Kelly Brown, then Cowan. Scotland coaches’ habit of dumping flankers is odd.