Scotland call up four for Ireland, including fit-again Rory Darge

Scotland have posted a 35-word message on Twitter confirming their squad changes – including the naming of Rory Darge – for next Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations round four match at home to Ireland. The Scots were beaten by France in their last outing and they have since lost the red-carded Grant Gilchrist for the remainder of the championship due to a three-game suspension.

Another forward Josh Bayliss has also been excluded from the squad, with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend calling in four Glasgow players as reinforcements – Rory Darge, Scott Cummings, Stafford McDowall and Simon Berghan.

The return of Darge to the fold will be especially pleasing as he needed an operation to heal the serious ankle injury suffered in September when playing for Glasgow against Cardiff. He returned to full training at the Warriors in mid-February and has since got two URC starts under his belt versus the Lions and Zebre.

The 23-year-old back-rower burst onto the Test scene in the 2022 Six Nations, debuting versus Wales and making four appearances before going on to add three more caps on the July tour to Argentina. It was November when his club coach Franco Smith commented: “Rory’s walking without a limp but I don’t want to go too deep into that progression.

An SRU tweet read: “Rory Darge and Scott Cummings have been added to the squad this week with Stafford McDowall and Simon Berghan also back with the playing group. Grant Gilchrist and Josh Bayliss have returned to their clubs.”