Scotland rectify ‘baffling’ omission as they call up two players and Gregor Townsend explains what must happen to have a ‘positive tournament’
Glasgow's Gregor Hiddleston has earned a belated call to join Gregor Townsend, inset, and the Scotland squad (NPHO/Tom Maher and Billy Stickland)
Scotland have added two players to their Six Nations squad, including a player whose omission from last week’s squad announcement was described as “baffling” by fans.
Hooker Gregor Hiddleston lit up Glasgow with the abrasiveness of his play over the winter, helping them to an unbeaten Investec Champions Cup pool stage campaign that featured emphatic home wins over Toulouse and Saracens.
That form, though, wasn’t enough for the uncapped 23-year-old to secure selection in the 40-man squad named last week by Gregor Townsend for the Six Nations, which starts away to Italy in Rome on February 7.
Dave Cherry, Ewan Ashman and George Turner were included by Townsend, with Hiddleston instead lined up for A team duty versus an Italian XV in Rieti on February 6.
“Nonsense”
That decision generated plenty of negative comments on social media, with fans at a loss as to how the impressive front-rower wasn’t considered good enough to challenge for a Six Nations debut.
“We need to start younger players playing well for their clubs as we look to the future. The exclusion of Gregor Hiddleston is truly baffling,” wrote one Scotland supporter on X.
“Two tries and a penalty try from a lineout maul (that would have been his) in half an hour, but apparently Gregor Hiddleston isn’t good enough for the Scotland squad. Nonsense,” reckoned another after seeing the hooker do his bit in the United Rugby Championship win over Zebre.
A week on from that Scotland squad announcement, though, Hiddleston has been promoted to the senior squad along with Sale scrum-half Gus Warr. Vannes hooker Dave Cherry is nursing a calf injury, and he missed his team’s Pro D2 match last weekend versus Grenoble.
Cherry will rehab the injury with Townsend’s Scotland squad, as will Jamie Dobie, the Glasgow scrum-half, who is dealing with a flare-up in his knee.
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While cover has been brought in for this duo, who are remaining with the squad as it prepares to take on Italy, flanker Liam McConnell has been sent back to his Edinburgh club to rehab a rib injury. No cover has been called up for him.
Scotland boss Townsend has arrived at the Six Nations under a cloud. His team was booed after they threw away a 21-point lead to lose to Argentina at home in November, just months after the SRU decided to grant him a contract extension.
This situation will add to the pressure on the Scots heading into a campaign where the tricky opener away to Italy will be followed by the February 14 visit of title favourites England to Murrayfield.
“We know we have to play a game with speed, one that allows our very talented players to get opportunities to take on the defence, but rugby is about more than just attack,” he said at Monday’s tournament launch in Edinburgh.
“We have to be strong defensively, win the ball back, and make sure our set piece, especially our scrum and maul, is generating penalties and putting the opposition under pressure. That said, I hope we do not move too far away from our DNA, which is playing at a really high tempo.”
Looking at the Round One match in Italy, he added: “I believe the game is a sell-out, so 80,000 people at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, that is a big test. More than that, it is Italy, who are a quality team.
“They are really tough to beat and very solid defensively. They have built a lot of cohesion over the last few years. This group has grown up playing international rugby together, and that is a massive factor for success at Test level.
“They beat us last time we were there, so we have to play better than we did two years ago. If we are going to have a positive tournament, we have to start really well, begin the game strongly, and finish it playing our best rugby.”
