Scotland add two frontrowers to squad

Head Coach Gregor Townsend today (Monday) added front-row pair Fraser Brown and Murray McCallum to Scotland’s 2019 Guinness Six Nations squad.

Glasgow Warriors hooker Brown joined the group in non-contact training last last week and is expected to take full part from today, with fellow Warrior and hooker Grant Stewart returning to the club.

Prop McCallum (22) last featured for Scotland on the 2018 summer tour and joins as fellow Edinburgh tightead Willem Nel continues his recovery from a calf strain sustained in the national team’s opening victory over Italy at BT Murrayfield Stadium on Saturday.

Exeter Chiefs forward Sam Skinner injured his ankle early in the first-half of the same game and has returned to his club for further assessment.

Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw knows his side must produce an 80-minute performance against Ireland next week after they rounded off a routine victory over Italy in somewhat alarming fashion.

Blair Kinghorn claimed a hat-trick as Scotland dominated at Murrayfield, but the final score was 33-20 courtesy of Italy crossing three times in the final 10 minutes with Simon Berghan in the sin bin for the hosts.

While the visitors’ late flurry of points came with the match well beyond them, Laidlaw acknowledged Scotland cannot afford to be so sloppy when they face the reigning champions.

The scrum-half told BBC Sport: “Against a quality opposition like Ireland, you can’t release a Test match like that. We were well in control and we just gave Italy momentum by being less aggressive at the end and slipping off tackles.

“That will heighten our awareness for next weekend, against a quality team that’s coming here.”

Scotland have now won seven home Six Nations matches in a row since losing to England in February 2016.