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Scotland make just one addition to Autumn Nations Cup squad

PA

Head Coach Gregor Townsend has updated the Scotland squad for the forthcoming Autumn Nations Cup. Scrum-half Sam Hidalgo-Clyne is named as the only new addition from Townsend’s original selection at the beginning of October, while winger Sean Maitland returns to the squad having not been available to be selected for the Guinness Six Nations finale against Wales last weekend.

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Hidalgo-Clyne links up with Exeter Chiefs teammates Stuart Hogg, Jonny Gray and Sam Skinner in the Scotland camp having helped his club win the European Rugby Champions Cup and the English Premiership double in the past few weeks.

Stand-offs Finn Russell and Adam Hastings both sustained injuries in the concluding Guinness Six Nations match against Wales in Llanelli on Saturday and as a result will miss the rest of the 2020 autumn programme on account of groin and shoulder injuries respectively.

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Hastings will require surgery and could be out for up to four months, while Russell’s groin injury can be managed through rest and rehab and he will return to the care of his club, Racing 92, with recovery time expected around two months.

Richie Gray, Rob Harley and Ratu Tagive have been released back to Glasgow Warriors.

Head Coach Townsend said: “It’s obviously disappointing to lose two quality players like Finn and Adam, who had both been playing well. However, this provides an opportunity to other players come into the team and lead our attack. The squad adapted well at the weekend to the enforced changes and we have belief in those in our squad that can step up to play at stand-off.

“We welcome Sam Hidalgo-Clyne into camp after a successful time with Exeter Chiefs and he will add further competition at scrum-half.”

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With the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting many aspects of public life in Scotland the move by the Scottish Government to a new tiered level of restrictions on travel and households meetings across the country means it will not be possible to host spectators at BT Murrayfield in Edinburgh for the Autumn Nations Cup in November.

Scottish Rugby has consulted with the Scottish Government regularly on this matter and they agree it will be unlikely crowds will be possible in the coming weeks, due to the restrictions now in place.

Scottish Rugby is disappointed supporters won’t be able to come to the stadium this autumn, but consultation continues with the Scottish Government in the expectation crowds can return at some capacity soon and specifically for the 2021 Guinness Six Nations, should the public health guidelines allow.

The Autumn Nations Cup begins in November with Scotland in Pool B, featuring games against Italy (14 November in Rome) before hosting France (22 November) and Fiji (28 November) at BT Murrayfield.

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Scotland squad for the Autumn Nations Cup

FORWARDS (20)

Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 27 caps
Jamie Bhatti (Edinburgh) – 15 caps
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 52 caps
Blair Cowan (London Irish) – 17 caps
Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) – 14 caps
Cornell du Preez (Worcester Warriors) – 9 caps
Matt Fagerson – (Glasgow Warriors) – 7 caps
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 31 caps
Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs) – 58 caps
Nick Haining (Edinburgh) – 4 caps
Oli Kebble (Glasgow Warriors) – 2 caps
Stuart McInally (Edinburgh) – 39 caps
Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 38 caps
Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – 20 caps
Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) – 7 caps
Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh) – 9 caps
Blade Thomson (Scarlets) – 6 caps
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) – 26 caps
George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) – 34 caps

BACKS (15)

Darcy Graham (Edinburgh) – 13 caps
Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps
Chris Harris (Gloucester) – 20 caps
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Exeter Chiefs) – 12 caps
Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) CAPTAIN – 77 caps
George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 14 caps
Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors) – 13 caps
Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 25 caps
Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 23 caps
James Lang (Harlequins) – 4 caps
Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 48 caps
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 34 caps
Scott Steele (London Irish) – 1 cap
Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh) – 2 caps
Duncan Weir (Worcester Warriors) – 28 caps

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa player ratings | 2024 Autumn Nations Series

There is this thing going around against Siya Kolisi where they don't want him to be known as the best national captain ever, so they strike him down in ratings permanently whenever they can. They want McCaw and reckons he is the best captain ever. I disagree.


Just like they refuse to see SA as the best team and some have even said that should the Boks win a third WC in a row, they will still not be the best team ever. Even if they win every game between now and the WC. That is some serious hate coming SA's way.


Everyone forget how the McCaw AB's intimidated refs, was always on the wrong side, played on the ground etc. Things they would never have gotten away with today. They may have a better win ratio, but SA build depth, not caring about rank inbetween WC's until this year.


They weren't as bad inbetween as people claim, because non e of their losses was big ones and they almost never faced the strongest Bok team outside of the WC, allowing countries like France and Ireland to rise to the top unopposed.


Rassie is still at it, building more depth, getting more young stars into the fold. By the time he leaves (I hope never) he will leave a very strong Bok side for the next 15- 20 years. Not everyone will play for 20 years, but each year Rassie acknowledge the young stars and get them involved and ready for international rugby.


Not everyone will make it to the WC, but those 51/52 players will compete for those spots for the WC. They will deliver their best. The future of the Boks is in very safe hands. The only thing that bothers me is Rassie's health. If he can overcome it, rugby looks dark for the rest of the rugby world. He is already the greatest coach in WR history. By the time he retires, he will be the biggest legend any sport has ever seen

4 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
'They smelt it': Scott Robertson says Italy sensed All Blacks' vulnerability

No where to be seen OB!


The crosses for me for the year where (from memory);


This was a really hard one to nail down as the first sign of a problem, now that I've asked myself to think about it. I'd say it all started with his decision to not back form and fit players after all the injuries, and/or him picking players for the future, rather ones that could play right now.


First he doesn't replace Perofeta straight away (goes on for months in the team) after injury against England, second he falls back to Beauden Barrett to cover at fullback against Fiji, then he drops Narawa the obvious choice to have started, then he brings in Jordan too soon. That Barret selection (and to a lesser extent Bell's) set the tone for the year.


Then he didn't get the side up for Argentina. They were blown away and didn't look like they expected a fight and were well beaten despite the scoreline in my opinion. Worst performance of the year in the forth game and..


Basically the same problems were persistent, or even exaggerated, after that with the players he did select not given much of an opportunity, with this year having the most number of unused subs I can remember since the amateur days.


What I think I started to realise early on was that he didn't back himself and his team. I think he prepared the players well, don't get me wrong, but I'll credit him with making a conscious choice in tempering his ambition and instead choosing cohesion and to respect (the idea of it being important in himself and his players) experience first and foremost (after two tight games and that 4th game loss). I think he chose wrong in deciding not to be, and back, himself. Hard criticism.


And it played out by preferring Beauden to Dmac on the EOYT (though that may have been a planned move).


I hope I'm right, because going through all the little things of the season and coming up with these bullets, I've got to wonder when I say his last fault is one we have seen at the Crusaders, playing his best players into the ground. What I'm really scared of now is that not wanting a bit of freshness in this last game could be linked with all these other crosses that I want to put down to simple confidence issues. But are they really a sign that he just lacks vision?


Now, that's not to say I haven't seen a lot of positives as well, I just think that for the ABs to go where they want to go he has to fix these crosses. Just have difficult that will be is the question.

28 Go to comments
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