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Russell's international exile over as Townsend names 40-man Scotland squad
Finn Russell’s international exile is over with Gregor Townsend including the mercurial out-half in his Scotland squad for the upcoming international window. Russell hasn’t played for Scotland since last year’s Rugby World Cup after falling out with Townsend ahead of the start of this year’s Six Nations.
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However Russell is now in line to return to the Scotland team after being included in the 40-man squad announced by Townsend today, which includes three uncapped players.
The three uncapped players are Glasgow Warriors prop Oli Kebble, Edinburgh winger Duhan van der Merwe and Harlequins scrum-half, Scott Steele.
Russell has been in scintillating form for Racing on their charge to this weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup final meeting with Exeter Chiefs, resulting in a nomination for the European Player of the Year award.
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT 🏴
Gregor Townsend names 40-man Scotland squad for Autumn Internationals featuring three uncapped players. #AsOne
Full story ➡️ https://t.co/FiGKatkbX6 pic.twitter.com/LnqCJJlKuI
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) October 12, 2020
However while his club career has been flourishing it has been far from smooth sailing on the international front. The out-half was controversially axed from Scotland’s Six Nations squad earlier this year following his late arrival into the camp from club duty.
Russell subsequently stated that he ‘no relationship’ with Townsend, despite the pair working together for almost eight years between Glasgow Warriors and Scotland. Russell and Townsend are believed to have been in regular contact during lockdown, opening the door for Russell’s return.
In the 23 forwards there are five players who did not feature in the 2020 Guinness Six Nations earlier in the year, with Glasgow Warriors trio Richie Gray (lock), Rob Harley (back-row/lock) and Kebble selected alongside London Irish flanker Blair Cowan, who won his last Scotland cap in 2016 and earns his first call up under Townsend.
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Scarlets’ Blade Thompson (back-row) also re-joins the squad having last featured at Rugby World Cup 2019.
In reviewing yesterday's test, it's impossible to overlook several clear late hits that Richie Mo'unga copped from Wallabies defenders, all of which went unpunished. #BledisloeCup #NZLvAUS https://t.co/Pw1u3TBCvd
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 12, 2020
In the 17 backs selected there are returns for Harlequins centre James Lang, who last featured in the national side during the summer of 2018, as well as Glasgow Warriors centre Nick Grigg and Edinburgh winger Damien Hoyland, alongside squad debutants van der Merwe and scrum-half Steele.
Townsend said: “We are very much looking forward to coming back together as a coaching and playing group after such an unprecedented and challenging period in our sport and across society in general.
“There was a strong feeling that we were growing as a team during the Six Nations earlier this year, making progress from game-to-game as well as building closer bonds within the squad. Our aim is to keep this momentum going as we take on Georgia and Wales before competing in the Autumn Nations Cup in November.
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Eddie Jones with the cheeky suggestion for Amazon's coverage of the Autumn Nations Cup. 👀
https://t.co/tap1u8ZWr0— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 11, 2020
“The squad we have selected is formed by the majority of the players we worked with in the Six Nations alongside players who have grabbed their opportunity in the past few weeks and have been in form for their respective teams.
“Given the lack of games since March, there will be opportunities for players out-with the squad to break into our group over the next few weeks, but for now the focus is on this group that will be in camp from tomorrow. It will be great to see some familiar faces, welcome a few back into our squad and also introduce some new players to Test match rugby.”
Duncan Taylor, Rory Hutchinson, Kyle Steyn, Byron McGuigan, Alex Craig and Luke Crosbie are all unavailable for selection due to injury.
Scotland begin their autumn test matches at BT Murrayfield against Georgia on Friday 23 October before facing Wales in Llanelli on 31 October in the rescheduled 2020 Guinness Six Nations fixture.
The newly formed Autumn Nations Cup begins in November with Scotland in Pool B alongside France and Fiji who they will play at BT Murrayfield as well as an away test match against Italy.
SCOTLAND SQUAD:
FORWARDS (23)
Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 25 caps
Jamie Bhatti (Edinburgh) – 15 caps
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 50 caps
Blair Cowan (London Irish) – 17 caps
Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) – 12 caps
Cornell du Preez (Worcester Warriors) – 7 caps
Matt Fagerson – (Glasgow Warriors) – 6 caps
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 29 caps
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 42 caps
Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs) – 57 caps
Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 65 caps
Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors) – 21 caps
Nick Haining (Edinburgh) – 3 caps
Oli Kebble (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
Stuart McInally (Edinburgh) – 37 caps
Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 38 caps
Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – 18 caps
Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) – 7 caps
Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh) – 7 caps
Blade Thomson (Scarlets) – 5 caps
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) – 25 caps
George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) – 32 caps
BACKS (17)
Darcy Graham (Edinburgh) – 11 caps
Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps
Chris Harris (Gloucester) – 18 caps
Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps
Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) CAPTAIN – 76 caps
George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 13 caps
Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh) – 4 caps
Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors) – 13 caps
Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 25 caps
Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 21 caps
James Lang (Harlequins) – 2 caps
Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 48 caps
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 32 caps
Finn Russell (Racing 92) – 49 caps
Scott Steele (Harlequins) – uncapped
Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh) – uncapped
Duncan Weir (Worcester Warriors) – 28 caps
Comments on RugbyPass
Blues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
5 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
1 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
5 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
5 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
2 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Could the victim do a course to reverse the long term CTE damage from the cheapshot?
2 Go to commentsTruely great player. In social media and opinion pieces he was held up and flogged for the results. People wanted someone to crucify, and he was the captain. He was still an immense presence respected by his peers. His battles with Siya Kolisi belong up with with Collins vs Burger in my opinion. Unlucky to be carded in the final, but I don’t agree that his red card was the defining moment. Not when you look at the dominant performances of the Springboks (PSDT in particular.) I think Cane should be remembered for the spirit and physicality that is special to test rugby.
16 Go to commentsSam was the man until he got injured .
16 Go to comments_Crusaders versus Leinster _at the moment might be a rout! But I would like to see the Blues play Toulouse, the Hurricanes front up against Stade Francais, and the Chiefs go against Toulon.
157 Go to commentsLove it when we overlap! Promise it was not forethought.
19 Go to commentsjfc can this guy plz stay out of the news for one week
2 Go to commentsIf stormers aren’t available. Based on form and likely availability at the time of the wales Test, you’d think Masuku would be a no-brainer to start. But starting Jordan also makes sense having Masuku come off the bench to close out the game.
2 Go to commentsGlad Tom Curry not playing needs time to recover such a great player also his brother Ben how well is he playing now .
1 Go to comments