Next Scotland squad

First topic message reminder :

I know we have a very important match still to be played on Friday, but seeing as I did a good job with my first post as a member (The Scotland 6N thread), I thought I'd start one early for the summer tour :P.

I actually got the idea after reading a status on an Irish Rugby Facebook group (I'm half Irish hence being in the group. I still support Scotland first and foremost, even last Sunday) which asked the following question that I'm about to further down this thread .

I don't think it's been officially confirmed yet but I am about 95% certain that Georgia and Romania was touted as our summer tests.

So bearing that in mind, we know that we will have a lot more new additions added to the squad and potentially even starting the games due to Lions selection.

So the question is this:-

Who would you like to see picked in the squad that hasn't been capped or named in squads before?

I will start by saying: Josh Bayliss and Ben Vellacot.

I'd also like to see more of: Jamie Dobie, Rufus McLean, Byron McGuigan, Scott Steele and Alex Craig, preferably as starters or on the bench.

I was going to add the boy Tuipolotu but tbh, he will need to prove himself at Glasgow before he's even considered for Scotland.


Also, if GT is away on Lions duty, who would coach the team, Mike Blair?

So Wasps have lost TH Owlett (off to Worcester) and gained two age grade Scots in LH Robin Hislop (29) and TH Millar Mills (28).

With the lack of a 4th TH, Owlett and Millar-Mills could yet come into contention for Scotland as unlikely as that might seem.

Those two have definitely lived in the lower reaches of pro life throughout their careers. Would be a Marfo-esque story if one of them made it to the Scotland squad!

RDW wrote:Those two have definitely lived in the lower reaches of pro life throughout their careers. Would be a Marfo-esque story if one of them made it to the Scotland squad!

They certainly have a lot to prove, but we are not exactly awash with THs either.

It will be interesting who gets picked for the A team match presumably Berghan and Nelly won't festure in that one.

I saw Mark Wilson, Lamber's partner in crime in the last U20s tesm, who went down to the Quins academy, festuring in their A team the other day. He looks like he is making steady progress.

Hoggy interview with Mark Palmer. He thinks this may well be his last Lions tour and wants to make the most of it.


When you’re not the one who spent two years being eaten by despondency after the last British & Irish Lions tour, it’s easy to say that Stuart Hogg was always going to go on this one. For the man himself, the brutal experience of being forced out of the 2017 trip by injury, and everything that followed, meant he took nothing for granted.

“I was absolutely bricking it — just ask Gill, my wife,” he says. “She says she’d never seen me so tense, uptight and nervous about a selection. I’ve been a nightmare around the house. Everything was just bugging me, no matter how big or small it was, because all I could focus on was that Thursday afternoon announcement. Ever since then, she says I’ve been like a different person. If there’s one person who is absolutely delighted I got picked, it’s Gill, because she can have her husband back.”

Whatever Hogg’s doubts about being called up, he is very clear about what he wants to happen next. Between 2013 — when he went from Glasgow apprentice to Lions tourist in the space of 18 months — and four years ago, he is yet to feature in a Test match for the combined side. The full back will be 29 by the time he boards the plane for South Africa and knows this could very well be his last chance.

“There will not be another tour,” he says, emphatically. “I’ve got an opportunity to go out there and show what I’m really about, playing on the big stage. In order to get that, I need to get myself right, my body right and get my preparation spot on. Get excited about it too.

“This last couple of weeks, it’s been absolutely outstanding to hear and read all the Lions legends saying what it meant to them. It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up to remember how much it means to everyone, and to have the opportunity to be part of it is an unbelievable feeling. But I know what I want to be doing when I get there.

“I’ve played in some good games on the previous tours, but unfortunately never been involved in the Test matches. That has to be my focus, and with the competition there is, I know how hard I’m going to have to work to get it. Nothing is going to be handed to me. Getting selected for the squad is one thing, getting selected for the Test matches is a completely different kettle of fish.”

In sharp contrast to where he was both physically and mentally for a long while post-New Zealand, Hogg approaches this tour in fine fettle. He has rediscovered his love of — and feel for — the game in winning a Premiership and Champions Cup double with Exeter Chiefs, and has shone both individually and as captain of a Scotland team that has made considerable strides since a disastrous 2019 World Cup, not least on the previously stony ground of road trips. In their last three Six Nations matches outside Edinburgh, Gregor Townsend’s team have beaten Wales away for the first time in 18 years, England away for the first time in 38, and France away for the first time since 1999.

Hogg did not feature in the Test matches in his previous Lions tours
Hogg did not feature in the Test matches in his previous Lions tours
STEPHEN MCCARTHY/SPORTSFILE VIA GETTY IMAGES
The body of individual and collective evidence in the past two seasons was enough to convince Warren Gatland to pick eight Scotland players for the summer expedition, which has Hogg absolutely purring.

“It means the world to me, because it means we’re doing something right. We talked a lot about creating memories both on and off the field and the last two years are the most enjoyable I’ve had in the Scotland jersey.

“After the bitter disappointment we had at the World Cup, we knew that something had to change. The confidence we have within the team now is unbelievable. I very much look forward to being involved in Scotland camps. Sometimes you get to the end of the Six Nations and you’re ready to go home, but I’d put my mortgage on the fact that a lot of boys were bitterly disappointed it was all ending this time. We had such fun on and off the field and that can only be beneficial to our results.

“Before that Wales game [last October in Llanelli], Gregor touched on the fact that we were now in a Lions year and the fact of the matter was we hadn’t had good enough results away from home. That’s probably why we’d only ended up with two or three Scottish boys on Lions tours. That gave us a kick up the backside. We managed to knock over Wales down there which was huge for us, then we did the same at Twickenham and [in] Paris.”

Hogg’s only previous playing experience of South Africa was as part of the Scotland side who went down 55-6 to the Springboks in Port Elizabeth at the fag-end of the ludicrously draw- out 2014 summer tour. But he has watched the 1997 Living With The Lions video “at least 100 times” and has long been fascinated by the whole concept. “I can remember one Red Nose Day at school where we had to wear something red. I went with a Lions top. The legacy that’s left behind from everyone involved is incredible. It’s a chance to create your own bit of history and to create your own history as a team. That’s something that excites me a lot.”

If Exeter make the Premiership final, Hogg will not be around to run out for the Lions against Japan at Murrayfield on June 26. In an ideal world there would be no need to choose, but equally it is impossible for him to view any Chiefs commitment as a hardship. Under Rob Baxter’s canny command, he has not only picked up medals but remembered why he does what he does. For so long post-2017, that knowledge was all too hazy.

“I love life down in Exeter, I can relax a bit more with my rugby and concentrate on the things that mean the most to me, like family. The older you get the more appreciative you are of the things that help you get where you want to be. Looking back at those years, I’m hacked off because I wasted a bit of my career.

“We’ve not performed to the best of our abilities but we’re still knocking teams over and winning games. That Bristol win a couple of weeks ago gave us a huge amount of confidence — that was a big game, as close to a Test match as I’ve ever experienced in club rugby. Europe is gone and that hurts us, but we want to win the Premiership now. Everything this year has been arse for elbow. It would be absolutely perfect to play a Premiership final one week then at Murrayfield for the Lions the next, but it is what it is.”

Spoken with the sanguinity of a man who has it all in front of him, but knows exactly where he’s coming from.

Jake Kerr starting for Bristol tonight.

Quite a turn around for him after leaving the Tigers, maybe a bolter for the A game or the summer tour now if they are inclined to give either or both of Brown and McInally the summer off.

BigGee wrote:Jake Kerr starting for Bristol tonight.

Quite a turn around for him after leaving the Tigers, maybe a bolter for the A game or the summer tour now if they are inclined to give either or both of Brown and McInally the summer off.

He fits the way Bristol like to play far more than Tigers under Borthwick. Tigers have opted for bigger units at hooker but Kerr is more like an additional flanker. I think he'll flourish at Bristol and wouldn't be surprised to see them give him a contract beyond the end of the season if he hasn't already done a deal to go north.

Well it does not look like we will be seeing anything of Redpath over the summer, he has done an ACL and will be out for quite some time.

That is tough luck on him, just as he was breaking through, the second time he has had that injury as well, not sure if it the same knee or not.

Good luck to him in his recovery.

BigGee wrote:Well it does not look like we will be seeing anything of Redpath over the summer, he has done an ACL and will be out for quite some time.

That is tough luck on him, just as he was breaking through, the second time he has had that injury as well, not sure if it the same knee or not.

Good luck to him in his recovery.

Other knee according to the Sky Sports report.

Well in some ways that is a good thing, an existing repair breaking down may be even harder to fix than a new one.

Hopefully his run of bad luck is now coming to an end and he will be bsck for the 6N next year.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2021/05/25/exclusivesales-ewan-ashman-turn-spot-summers-england-squad-favour/

Excellent news regarding Ewan Ashman but tbh, most of us had a feeling this would be the outcome. Mr Rodd going in the other direction so that leaves Henderson and Reed to declare one way or another.

I'm over the moon regarding EA and not to fussed regarding Rodd. Also not to fussed as to the route Henderson or Reed take tbh.

Redpath sounds like he is an unenviable trait that has plagued promising Scotland centres that started back when Joe Ansboro had to retire due to a neck problem in 2011. Terrible luck and can only hope it is the last of his injury woes.

Can't see the article but I would happily take Rodd and Henderson. Whilst it is great we have the SA beef of Kebble and Schoeman to go with Sutherland and Bhatti, they are all at a similar sort of age and having a young LH kicking along at Sale would be a nice player to have for RWC2027 and RWC2031 (to go along with Lambert and Grahamslaw if all goes well).

Not sure on who Reed is. If it is Miles Reid of Bath, he has had some really good reviews recently and, at 22, could add to the list of contenders to take over from Watson when the time comes.

Arron Reed of, I think Bath.

Highland Shaun wrote:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2021/05/25/exclusivesales-ewan-ashman-turn-spot-summers-england-squad-favour/

Excellent news regarding Ewan Ashman but tbh, most of us had a feeling this would be the outcome.  Mr Rodd going in the other direction so that leaves Henderson and Reed to declare one way or another.

I'm over the moon regarding EA and not to fussed regarding Rodd. Also not to fussed as to the route Henderson or Reed take tbh.

Both Rodd and Ashman staying with who they played for at under 20s level. Oh the novelty. Rodd is getting regular game time at 20 and whilst he's not close to be ready for test rugby yet it's a pretty good indication that in a couple of years he could start looking like something pretty special. By the time he finishes his physically filling out he'll have experience to go with it.

Henderson I expect to choose Scotland. He's coming along nicely under Borthwick, leads the lineout and carries fairly well. Certainly being developed with a few to being the go to lineout caller in the long term for Tigers.

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/sport/rugby/kwagga-van-niekerk-still-dreams-of-playing-for-scotland/

Did anyone on here know this bloke was eligible or in fact, know anything about the bloke ?

May have to send a pm to our friends Kev Millar etc to get a bit more info :O.

I put it here but tbh, I doubt he'll get capped just yet but I didn't want to bump up the eligible for Scotland thread so decided to put it here, sorry mods :P.

He played for our U20s a couple of seasons ago. Looked solid without tearing up the heather.

Assuming for a moment that as a young man he is popular with the ladies and fond of the occasional bout of copulation, I wander what nickname Jim could possibly give young Kwagga?

Not sure how many of you guys use YouTube but, there is a good video by Kyle Paterson on who he would have in the summer tour squad.

It's well worth a look as tbh, there are a couple of shock names he names in the video, if you want to check out then go to Kapo Starky Rugby and its the first video there .

A team squad getting named on tuesday apparently.

I am not sure if Blair will be able to name any players from without Scotland for this game or not. It is the same weekend as the Lions fixture against Japan but also the Premiership final, so I am not clear if it is an international window or not? Either way, there certainly will be limits on who can and cannot be picked.

[quote="BigGee"]A team squad getting named on tuesday apparently.

I am not sure if Blair will be able to name any players from without Scotland for this game or not. It is the same weekend as the Lions fixture against Japan but also the Premiership final, so I am not clear if it is an international window or not? Either way, there certainly will be limits on who can and cannot be picked.[/quote]

The bit in bold is correct. According to the below article, the tour squad is also getting announced on Tuesday. Hopefully the lad in question gets picked along with a few others like Dobie, Thompson, Chamberlain, Darge, Muncaster, Crosbie, Ashman and Currie.

Tuesday could be a good day lol because my team (Inverness CT) could appoint a new manager that day too lol plus I can be happy with the tour squad possibly :P.

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby-union/jamie-hodgson-scotland-call-would-cap-breakthrough-season-for-young-lock-3255173

https://www.scottishrugby.org/news/scotland-name-37-players-for-summer-fixtures

A few surprises in here - shall we call it the Blair Bingo since the Tombola is off to SA?

Scotland Squad for 2021 summer series

Forwards

Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks) – Uncapped

Nick Auterac (Northampton Saints) - Uncapped

Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby) – Uncapped

Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby) – 31 caps

Jamie Bhatti (Bath Rugby) – 18 caps

Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby) – 14 caps

David Cherry (Edinburgh Rugby) – 5 caps

Alex Craig (Gloucester Rugby) – 2 caps

Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby) – Uncapped

Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps

Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors) - Uncapped

Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors – 13 caps

Cameron Henderson (Leicester Tigers) - Uncapped

Robin Hislop (Doncaster Knights) – Uncapped

Jamie Hodgson (Edinburgh Rugby) - Uncapped

Oli Kebble (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps

Kiran McDonald (Glasgow Warriors) - Uncapped

Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) CAPTAIN – 27 caps

Javan Sebastian (Scarlets) – Uncapped

Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) – 12 caps

Grant Stewart (Glasgow Warriors) – 3 caps

George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps



Backs

Jack Blain (Edinburgh Rugby) – Uncapped

Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors) – Uncapped

Cole Forbes (Glasgow Warriors) - Uncapped

Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – 23 caps

George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 14 caps

Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby) – 4 caps

Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) – 25 caps

James Lang (Harlequins) – 6 caps

Rufus McLean (Glasgow Warriors) - Uncapped

Matt Scott (Leicester Tigers) – 39 caps

Charlie Shiel (Edinburgh Rugby) – Uncapped

Scott Steele (London Irish) – 4 caps

Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap

Ross Thompson (Glasgow Warriors) – Uncapped

Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) - Uncapped

Well as ever, a few curve balls from Blair/Toonie, particularly in the front row, though that does make sense as we are light there, particularly at TH.

Javon Sebastain was on Glasgow books for a year before heading back to wales and becoming established in the Scarlets setup. He has looked a decent player when I have seen him.

I am not sure anyone had Nick Auterac on their radar either, from what I know about him is that he was a very promising player a few years ago, who seems to have not fulfilled his potential.

Robin Hislop has always been a decent LH but has only just got his recognition for it, with a loan spell at Sarries and now a contract with Wasps. He may surprise a few people.

Very good to see Cam Henderson in there as well, a player very much on the rise with Leicester.


The home grown players getting their chances are probably less of a surprise. Thompson, Forbes, Mclean, Sheil, Crosbie etc all worthy of their chance.

Tuipulotu comes straight into the squad as well. I guess we will see what he is like sooner rather than later.

Bit surprised not to see Tom Gordon and Rory Hutchinson in the setup.


Just noticed no Sam Johnson either, Matt Scott makes a welcome return.


Maybe the antipodean players are getting the chance to go back down under for a family break, they probably have not had the opportunity to do that for some time.

Nick Auterac is Scots qualified!!??

George Carlin wrote:Nick Auterac is Scots qualified!!??

He played for London Scottish....

It is a surprise

Hadn't noticed no Tom Gordon or Hutchinson - that is surprising given how far and wide the next has been flung.

Also I'm not sure the antipodeans will be able to come across here any time soon. The government is still letting very few come in (unless they're rich and famous!) and the 14 day quarantine would put a lot off I'm sure.

I think it's more surprising that anyone considered Auterac worth calling up than it is he's Scotland qualified. Came onto the scene early but I don't think he's progressed beyond the throwing his weight around stage of front row. He's never settled into the first XV at any club he's been at and he's had a few with Sarries, Bath, Quins and Saints in the Prem.

Good to see the Tigers lads get some recognition as both have done well this season. Henderson still learning his trade as the lineout leader, Scott as the experienced attacking centre.

RDW wrote:Hadn't noticed no Tom Gordon or Hutchinson - that is surprising given how far and wide the next has been flung.

Also I'm not sure the antipodeans will be able to come across here any time soon. The government is still letting very few come in (unless they're rich and famous!) and the 14 day quarantine would put a lot off I'm sure.

No Nick Grigg either, seems very odd that the three Aus/NZ players are all not in the squad. I guess if they do go and have to quarantine, that would explain why they will be away for the whole of July. The trouble for them may be that if they don't go now, it could be another year befoer they get the chance.

Good as Darge has been in his two appearances, Gordon has been playing well all season in a poor Glasgow team and is the more worthy of a call up in my opinion. Mind you they are both more worthy than Bradbury, who has not been seen for months!

With no Hutchinson, Bennett or Jones H in the squad, it looks a bit light on 13s. Tuipoloto seems to be thye only out and out 13 in the squad.

That might mean Kyle Steyn coming in to play there rather than on the wing, as the squad does not seem short on wingers. That may not be a bad thing as from what we saw of him playing centre in his first season with the warriors, it may possibly end up being his best position.

George Carlin wrote:Nick Auterac is Scots qualified!!??

I had no idea about that either! Given that no one seemed to have heard about it before I wonder if Auterac contacted the Scotland coaches similar to Tompkins making first contact with Wales about being WQP?

With Sutherland, Kebble and Schoe soon to qualify I'm not sure how many chances he'd get. Auterac is a talent but has just been decimated by injury sadly.

There have been rumours that Bevan Rodd was contacted by Scotland turned down the offer in the hopes of an England call so perhaps Auterac has snuck into the spot Rodd would have filled.

Javan Sebastian really isn't international quality. Good luck to him though.

https://twitter.com/scarlets_rugby/status/1399701798710091779


JS seems pretty chuffed about his call up.

We are light on THs no doubt, apart from Fagerson, Nelly is in the dying embers of his career and Berghan is no spring chicken either. There really is not much else other than that, so can see why we are giving him a crack. Hope he takes the opportunity with both hands.

Different format for the squad

LH: Bhatti, Kebble, Hislop, Auterac
HK: Turner, Cherry, Ashman, Stewart
TH: Berghan, Sebastian, ? (assume one of the LH's will cover)
LK: Cummings, Craig, Henderson, Hodgson, McDonald
BR: Bayliss, Bradbury, Crosbie, Darge, M Fagerson, Ritchie, Skinner

SH: Dobie, G Horne, Shiel, Steele
FH: Hastings, R Thompson
Centres: Lang, Scott, Steyn, Tuipulotu
Back 3: Blain, Forbes, Hoyland, Kinghorn, McLean

For a 3 match tour, 6 locks looks ridiculous so guessing Skinner is being considered as a back row.

George Carlin wrote:Assuming for a moment that as a young man he is popular with the ladies and fond of the occasional bout of copulation, I wander what nickname Jim could possibly give young Kwagga?

Grabber wan Kneetrembler?

i feel slightly soiled in a Benny Hill kind of way for saying that.

RDW wrote:https://www.scottishrugby.org/news/scotland-name-37-players-for-summer-fixtures

A few surprises in here - shall we call it the Blair Bingo since the Tombola is off to SA?

Mike Blair was quoted by the Beeb as saying, "It's taken a while but I finally understand how hard Toonie works!"

It seems Blair has a repetitive strain injury in his right shoulder from plucking all those names out of the lucky bag.

Hazel Sapling wrote:Different format for the squad

LH: Bhatti, Kebble, Hislop, Auterac
HK: Turner, Cherry, Ashman, Stewart
TH: Berghan, Sebastian, ? (assume one of the LH's will cover)
LK: Cummings, Craig, Henderson, Hodgson, McDonald
BR: Bayliss, Bradbury, Crosbie, Darge, M Fagerson, Ritchie, Skinner

SH: Dobie, G Horne, Shiel, Steele
FH: Hastings, R Thompson
Centres: Lang, Scott, Steyn, Tuipulotu
Back 3: Blain, Forbes, Hoyland, Kinghorn, McLean

For a 3 match tour, 6 locks looks ridiculous so guessing Skinner is being considered as a back row.

Well, I've picked, in bold, my starting XV. I'd be temptd to put Matt Scott12-Shona in the centres and a back 3 of Forbes-Titman-Seaman.

Surprised about the structure of the squad.

- Both debutant LH's are 28/29 and similar age/older than the main 4 (Sutheland, Schoeman, Kebble, Bhatti). Lambert, Thornton and Grahamslaw are all unproven in the next generation and could have done with the experience unless Hislop or Auterac are going to play TH

- No space for Gordon is a bit of a kick in the teeth considering how hard he has worked this season in an overmatched side.

- Taking 4 scrum halves seems like overkill whilst Steyn and Lang offer some versatility elsewhere. Would we not have been better off dropping 1 of them for H Jones, Bennett or Hutchinson, all of whom have had good seasons and would offer an attacking threat at 13

Some of it is likely driven by personal circumstance but the LH thing in particular is frustrating to me. Hislop and Auterac are not far off Dell's timeline and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to cap a young LH from the next generation.

Quite a few in that squad will get their opportunity in the A game v England and then the squad will get cut down prior to heading out east for the two proper test matches.

I guess it does mean that players are getting released to play in the A game,  or else there would have been no sense in bringing them into the squad at this stage.

In terms of spare THs, you would imagine it would be Keeble, who has played there a few times for Glasgow and is certainly big enough.

In many ways it would make sense for him to make the switch permanently.  There is certainly a lof less competition at TH

Hazel Sapling wrote:

Some of it is likely driven by personal circumstance but the LH thing in particular is frustrating to me. Hislop and Auterac are not far off Dell's timeline and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to cap a young LH from the next generation.

I don't think any of the next generation have really played enough yet.

Lambert is probably the most promising, but has two games as a pro to his credit. Grahameslaw and Thornton even less. Thornton is probsbly not even going to get kept kn by Glasgow.

Let Lambert learn his trade for a bit, he has got plenty time on his side and definitely looks a prospect

Agreed on Thornton, more an example. I expect with Rodd that he would have made the squad if he did not fancy his shot with England.

If both Hislop and Auterac prove to be solid players, that means we have found out our 5th choice LH for the next 2-3 season is a competitive position with Dell also about.

On the other hand, we could have had Lambert or Grahamslaw, young impressionable LH's, get experience of an international set-up and tough scrummaging contests with Romania and potentially Georgia. Maybe we find out they are not ready...or they get a 4 week camp to improve their skills for next season in contests none of us will probably remember by next year.

Worth noting that J Gray, Brown and McInally are said to be having a summer off to rest, so weren't considered. The latter 2 have been injured most of the season so haven't exactly had a heavy workload, but at their stages of their careers a summer off is no bad thing.

Although I'm guessing at least 1 or 2 of them are on the Lions standby list.

Do Nick Auterac and Javan Sebastian have to play in either of the 3 tests to be officially captured or are they officially captured by just being in the tour 37man squad?

The customary new cap question so go easy on me lol: What positions are Sebastian and Auterac and does anyone here know anything about them, are they international class etc?

So glad that Ashman and Henderson are finally declaring for us, that will annoy EJ no doubt :P.

You need to actually get on the pitch (A-team or full team in Scotland's case) to officially be tied. On the bench doesn't count - you have to actually get on the pitch (there's been a few examples over the years of people not getting off the bench and therefore not tied!).

I know very little about either props TBH but there's been a bit of chat on here from people who do know them. Sounds like Sebastian is very much a club quality player but at 26 he still has time to potentially kick on. Auterac I had never heard of!

They'll need to be capped, Shaun. Players training with one nations squad then playing for another has happened a many times. Redpath and Graham trained with England then played for Scotland from recent years just thinking about Scotland examples off the top of my head.

The England A vs Scotland A game will also tie players to each nation as both are their respective countries elected second team.

Auterac has a lot of talent but has been plagued by injury so not really kicked on yet. He seemed a great prospect when he first broke through with Bath but that was a long time and a lot of missed rugby ago. Since leaving Bath he's been through Quins and onto Saints without making much impact. I really hope he can stay fit and kick on at some point. He's currently nowhere near Sutherland though and even he may be overtaken by Schoe in due course!

On the Schoe, this confirms that he's not eligible in time for the tour. I'm sure we'll see him feature in the autumn.

We really do have ridiculous depth at LH now!

Sutherland, Kebble, Schoeman, Bhatti are all international class and two of them won't even make a 23.

Thanks RDW and King Carlos, just wanted to be 100% of the situation :P.

Oh well, in that case, Ashman, Bayliss and Henderson will likely start the A game and possibly the other 2 tests.

I would imagine Tuipolotu, Auterac and Sebastian may get off the bench during A game.

Of course, I could be wrong lol, something I am very renowned for up here , I got given the nickname "squid" by some members of the golf club I worked at up here because during 2014 World Cup, I predicted every match wrongly lol.

According to Blair, Nick Auterac has a Scottish Grandmother and has been on their radar for a while.

As RDW says though, it is not going to be easy to break through as a LH. We have got very good deoth there already with Schoeman to come along as well.

Highland Shaun wrote:Do Nick Auterac and Javan Sebastian have to play in either of the 3 tests to be officially captured or are they officially captured by just being in the tour 37man squad?

The customary new cap question so go easy on me lol: What positions are Sebastian and Auterac and does anyone here know anything about them, are they international class etc?

All of my friends who are Sarries and Bath fans complained to me every year that Auterac is the next big thing and they cannot understand why Eddie doesn't choose him. In actual fact, his injury record has been terrible (possibly due to over development of his physique as a very young player) and Eddie has stuck loyally to his usual prop stable. He is a huge specimen and should be coming into his prime now. I really want to see what he can do as I don't remember seeing him play for ages (and in fact, I've never seen him play for Saints).

There must be a reason why he's never been capped and presumably diehard fans of Jeff rugby will have their own theories.

He's one of these guys that could step up very well at test level. He just needs to not get crocked.

I've just Googled Auterac - he's an absolute specimen.
Definitely a far cry from the Chunk era of props!

Honestly I'm super underwhelmed by Auterac, he's bounced around all over the place and never managed to nail down a spot at club level. Injuries certainly haven't helped, but I struggle to see him proving himself as international class at this stage. Very similar to Mitch Eadie who was talked about for years as a potential Scotland player but never came close to being good enough.

I like the squad though, a backline of Dobie/Shiel, Thompson, Scott, Steyn, Blain, Forbes, McLean would be a lot of fun!

BigGee wrote:

In terms of spare THs, you would imagine it would be Keeble, who has played there a few times for Glasgow and is certainly big enough.

In many ways it would make sense for him to make the switch permanently.  There is certainly a lof less competition at TH

Gee, your analsis is usually Keir Starmeresque in it's perspicacity and meticulousness; however this post has the smell of Johnson's seat of the pants say the first thing that comes into your head and no-one will notice( till the bodies start piling up in their thousands).
If Kebble switched to tighthead he would be behind Ragnar The Lion. Or ahead of him. So one of Glasgow's TH's would be playing less rugby. IF, big if, they were both called up for Scotland Glasgow would be two Th's down.
I can't see how this situation helps either Glasgow or Scotland.