[2023 Six Nations] Scotland Squad

[TRF_Olyy]

Scotland squad for the 2023 Guinness Six Nations

Forwards
Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks) 6 caps
Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby) 3 caps
Simon Berghan (Glasgow Warriors) 31 caps
Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) 25 caps
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) 57 caps
Dave Cherry (Edinburgh Rugby) 8 caps
Andy Christie (Saracens) 4 caps
Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby) 2 caps
Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) 4 caps
Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 28 caps
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 54 caps
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) 59 caps
Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs) 72 caps
Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 69 caps
Cameron Henderson (Leicester Tigers) uncapped
WP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) 50 caps
Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) – CAPTAIN – 36 caps
Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 16 caps
Javan Sebastian (Scarlets) 3 caps
Sam Skinner (Edinburgh Rugby) 23 caps
Rory Sutherland (Ulster Rugby) 22 caps
George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 29 caps
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) 54 caps

Backs
Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby) 39 caps
Ben Healy (Munster Rugby) uncapped
Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) 96 caps
George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 18 caps
Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 31 caps
Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) 38 caps
Sean Maitland (Saracens) 53 caps
Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath Rugby) uncapped
Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) 58 caps
Cameron Redpath (Bath Rugby) 4 caps
Finn Russell (Racing 92) 65 caps
Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors) 2 caps
Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 5 caps
Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 11 caps
Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 23 caps
Ben White (London Irish) 9 caps

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath Rugby) uncapped

Naive people: Nation swapping is going to be great for tier 2, tier 1 nations won't bother with it

Scotland:

 

[Groundhog]

Happy for Ben Healy, but Munster are absolutely shafted for 10s now. Down Carbery, Healy and Crowley likely for the 6N window.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Hope Healy's career takes a nosedive from here on out.

Healys career taking a nosedive is the equivalent to s toddler falling over when trying to run but still, that's always funny.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Scotland are just such a joke these days. Is he really better than their other options when Scotland’s integrity is just being washed away with every squad they select.

 

[Saintjay]

God speed and for England Agent McConnochie. The infiltration mission is a go.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

God speed and for England Agent McConnochie. The infiltration mission is a go.

Of all international set ups, Scotland's is one that I trust completely to destroy themselves without external sabotage.

 

[General Melchett]

Scotland are just such a joke these days. Is he really better than their other options when Scotland’s integrity is just being washed away with every squad they select.

The other fly halves (Hastings and Thompson) are injured. Kinghorn was an experiment and isn't an international class 10. Healy is young, has a Scottish grandparent and has a good opportunity to take over as the starting 10 from Russell once he retires. He wants to play test rugby as far as I'm aware Ireland didn't pick him for their emerging talent squad or give him any indication he was in their plans. I don't see what all the fuss is about - not like he's a project signing plucked from South Africa. Good move for Healy and Scotland IMO as he'll likely feature in the 6N and this year's RWC.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

The other fly halves (Hastings and Thompson) are injured. Kinghorn was an experiment and isn't an international class 10. Healy is young, has a Scottish grandparent and has a good opportunity to take over as the starting 10 from Russell once he retires. He wants to play test rugby as far as I'm aware Ireland didn't pick him for their emerging talent squad or give him any indication he was in their plans. I don't see what all the fuss is about - not like he's a project signing plucked from South Africa. Good move for Healy and Scotland IMO as he'll likely feature in the 6N and this year's RWC.

He was definitely talking about McConnochie.

 

[General Melchett]

He was definitely talking about McConnochie.

His post followed a few Healy ones.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Don't think Scotland's integrity is the issue, they're fully playing within the rules and doing what they think is best for them.

Are the rules good for rugby? No

Is the approach good for Scotland? Mid- and long-term, I don't think so.

 

[General Melchett]

Don't think Scotland's integrity is the issue, they're fully playing within the rules and doing what they think is best for them.

Are the rules good for rugby? No

Is the approach good for Scotland? Mid- and long-term, I don't think so.

Can't argue with the first two. Time will tell with the last one.

From a grass roots perspective, I would guess the thinking is that more youngsters are likely to take up the game if they see a team that can at least compete and aren't getting pumped regularly which would be the case if we didn't take advantage of the rules. I don't like the rules either and hope we won't need to rely on them in the future as much as we do now.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

The other fly halves (Hastings and Thompson) are injured. Kinghorn was an experiment and isn't an international class 10. Healy is young, has a Scottish grandparent and has a good opportunity to take over as the starting 10 from Russell once he retires. He wants to play test rugby as far as I'm aware Ireland didn't pick him for their emerging talent squad or give him any indication he was in their plans. I don't see what all the fuss is about - not like he's a project signing plucked from South Africa. Good move for Healy and Scotland IMO as he'll likely feature in the 6N and this year's RWC.

I was 100% talking about McConnochie, but calling up an Irish FH inst' a good look either. It doesn't really matter if he has a Scottish grandparent as that really doesn't mean anything, he's Irish.

The fuss is there are probably more foreigners in the Scotland squad than actual Scottish these days, i'm not bothered in some ways as they are still rubbish but it makes a mockery of the international game.

 

[General Melchett]

I was 100% talking about McConnochie, but calling up an Irish FH inst' a good look either. It doesn't really matter if he has a Scottish grandparent as that really doesn't mean anything, he's Irish.

The fuss is there are probably more foreigners in the Scotland squad than actual Scottish these days, i'm not bothered in some ways as they are still rubbish but it makes a mockery of the international game.

How can doing things within the rules not be a good look? It's the rules you should have beef with. I've already said I don't like them either and it's frankly ridiculous to expect Townsend, whose job is on the line, not to take advantage of them just because some fans of other nations don't like them. Let's face it, you're just using your dim view of the rules to have a pop at a nation you don't like. Yes we're rubbish but based on the last few Calcutta cups and 6Ns we're not the only ones.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

There's been virtually no beef with Healy on this end.

He's a little ginger weasel who isn't very good at rugby and plays for Munster but all those wrongdoings have been the case for ages.

Criticising countries with high rates of emigration to bigger economies for using their diaspora to their advantage always points to a very narrow world view imo.

 

[General Melchett]

He's a little ginger weasel who isn't very good at rugby and plays for Munster but all those wrongdoings have been the case for ages.

His ginger genes probably come from his Scottish Granny. The weasel part might suggest he has some distant Welsh relatives. Only kidding @Welsh Exile

 

[Saintjay]

I refuse to believe anyone liking Alpha's post knew what diaspora meant. Either that or you are all backs and went to a gud school.

Me I googled it. Derek Zoolander Center for forwards that can't read gud and that

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

How can doing things within the rules not be a good look? It's the rules you should have beef with. I've already said I don't like them either and it's frankly ridiculous to expect Townsend, whose job is on the line, not to take advantage of them just because some fans of other nations don't like them. Let's face it, you're just using your dim view of the rules to have a pop at a nation you don't like. Yes we're rubbish but based on the last few Calcutta cups and 6Ns we're not the only ones.

I mean just because it’s in the rules doesn’t mean it’s a good look.

Imagine all the Scottish rugby fans looking forward to watching the Scottish barbarians take on another team. It’s a bigger impact for fans and the reputation of the SRFU than you make out.

Let’s all face the fact that it’s a joke to have a player who’s declared themselves English and gone through all that for England to suddenly become Scottish after their career hasn’t gone their way. It’s a joke.

 

[Saintjay]

McConnochie in camp day one.

"I was in a team that got got to a world cup final, now who wants to f@#king stroke me" Rest of squad "ooooooh".

 

[AlRums]

Scotland are just such a joke these days. Is he really better than their other options when Scotland’s integrity is just being washed away with every squad they select.

Remind me, how many Calcutta Cups have England won in the last five years?

 

[AlRums]

The other fly halves (Hastings and Thompson) are injured. Kinghorn was an experiment and isn't an international class 10. Healy is young, has a Scottish grandparent mother and has a good opportunity to take over as the starting 10 from Russell once he retires. He wants to play test rugby as far as I'm aware Ireland didn't pick him for their emerging talent squad or give him any indication he was in their plans. I don't see what all the fuss is about - not like he's a project signing plucked from South Africa. Good move for Healy and Scotland IMO as he'll likely feature in the 6N and this year's RWC.

There, corrected that for you

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

the welsh and Scottish populations are stagnating. From my trusted source Wikipedia the amount of Scots born in Scotland has decreased from the last census and their slight bump in population is mainly immigrants. They have to rely on those with solid links to the country or they'll an incredibly small pool in 20 years.

 

[Groundhog]

Have any of the salty English people in this thread considered that there's a more nuanced take to this and that people want to play for Scotland because England smelly poopy stinkheads?

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Remind me, how many Calcutta Cups have England won in the last five years?

England have been pants due to Eddie the wonder kid jones since the wc. Beating that England team wasn’t really something to boast about.

Just like calling up an old English winger to the Scotland squad.

No salt from me about him changing colours, I’d be equally frustrated if England did the same and very much dislike players who are turncoats from one country to another.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

McConnochie in camp day one.

"I was in a team that got got to a world cup final, now who wants to f@#king stroke me" Rest of squad "ooooooh".

If it helps, he's also got an olympic silver medal

 

[retired9]

Listen, in Scotland we are used to players from different countries coming in to play for us, its gone on for decades big wow. As fans we don't really care per se, if you want to play for this country and are good enough to do so then we're ok with it.

I can understand in a country 10 times the population it being a bit of a problem when there really is enough home grown players, yet England have hada few different accents in there over the years as well.

It's not like there are dozens of "home grown" stars are being kept out, and actually, I would argue that some of the overseas players of origin have inspired the Russels, Hoggs, Fagersons, Darge types to be better and push to get in the squad.

I say it every year, 3rd place is the minimum target for Scotland, probably going to be tricky now there is a Gatland Wales and Borthwicks England are a bit of an unknown - probably having the CC match first is a good thing but I do not expect it to be easy. Ireland will likely be a stretch for us, France we at least have some recent positive form against so maybe a bit less of a monkey on the back type, although I don't expect a miracle.

Scotland finally got some continuity in the Autumn with selction and I think there is a sound framework which can be tweaked here and there to produce decent showings and victories.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Listen, in Scotland we are used to players from different countries coming in to play for us, its gone on for decades big wow. As fans we don't really care per se, if you want to play for this country and are good enough to do so then we're ok with it.

I can understand in a country 10 times the population it being a bit of a problem when there really is enough home grown players, yet England have hada few different accents in there over the years as well.

It's not like there are dozens of "home grown" stars are being kept out, and actually, I would argue that some of the overseas players of origin have inspired the Russels, Hoggs, Fagersons, Darge types to be better and push to get in the squad.

I say it every year, 3rd place is the minimum target for Scotland, probably going to be tricky now there is a Gatland Wales and Borthwicks England are a bit of an unknown - probably having the CC match first is a good thing but I do not expect it to be easy. Ireland will likely be a stretch for us, France we at least have some recent positive form against so maybe a bit less of a monkey on the back type, although I don't expect a miracle.

Scotland finally got some continuity in the Autumn with selction and I think there is a sound framework which can be tweaked here and there to produce decent showings and victories.

I mean each to their own but I know plenty of Scottish fans annoyed at it.

 

[retired9]

I mean each to their own but I know plenty of Scottish fans annoyed at it.

Oh I know there are, but I would love to know what they would do differently assuming they wish the national team to maintain a degree of competitiveness. 2 pro teams ain't going to yield a field of home grown superstars.

There is never a lack of cheers at Murrayfield for Nel, Schoeman (who has his own crowd moniker), VDM and even Watson who couldn't have a more Scottish sounding name without a Mc in it yet has a southern accent.

Comparably sized nations (Wales, Ireland, NZ) have a completely different setup and the game is much more broadly marketed. Rugby in Scotland really is still a bit of an oddball at times, a lot of the public just don't get it.

 

[Groundhog]

Lots of talk now about John Cooney being called up at some stage for Scotland as he can switch his allegiance on February 23..... Have to say this one does feel pretty desperate.