EDINBURGH, June 9 (Reuters) - Scotland on Tuesday named two uncapped players in their 36-man squad for next month’s inaugural Nations Championship tests against Argentina, South Africa and Fiji.
Glasgow Warriors hookers Gregor Hiddleston and Seb Stephen receive first call-ups from coach Gregor Townsend as players from the club dominate the squad with 19 picked for the trio of tests.
The pair will compete with veteran Ewan Ashman for the hooker’s berth for internationals, two of which are technically away games. The game against Fiji, however, is to be played at Murrayfield on July 18 after the Pacific Islanders ceded home advantage.
Scotland travel away to Argentina for their first game of the new competition on July 4 in Córdoba and then fly to Pretoria to meet South Africa one week later.
The squad includes Jack Dempsey, who is heading for Japan, and whose availability was the subject of much speculation before Tuesday’s announcement.
The number eight has been a talisman for Scotland over the past few years, and if his move to Japan rules him out of test consideration it would be a major blow a year out from the World Cup.
Duhan van der Merwe, D’Arcy Rae and Liam McConnell will all be involved with the Barbarians before joining the Scotland squad. The Barbarians take on South Africa in Gqeberha on Saturday, June 20, and Wales in London one week later.
Squad:
Forwards: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh), Josh Bayliss (Bath), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh), Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey (all Glasgow Warriors), Freddy Douglas (Edinburgh), Matt Fagerson, Zander Fagerson (both Glasgow Warriors), Jonny Gray (Perpignan), Gregor Hiddleston (Glasgow Warriors), Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers), Nathan McBeth (Glasgow Warriors), Liam McConnell (Edinburgh), Elliot Millar-Mills (Northampton Saints), D’Arcy Rae (Edinburgh), Alex Samuel (Glasgow Warriors), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), Seb Stephen, Rory Sutherland, Max Williamson (all Glasgow Warriors)
Backs: Fergus Burke (Saracens), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), Tom Jordan (Bristol Bears), Stafford McDowall, Kyle Rowe (both Glasgow Warriors), Finn Russell (Bath), Ollie Smith, Kyle Steyn, Sione Tuipulotu (all Glasgow Warriors), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh), Ben White (Toulon)
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
