Scotland team to face England as big Six Nations selection calls made amid Calcutta Cup redemption chance
Scotland have named their Calcutta Cup team to face England in a Six Nations clash.
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has selected his Scotland squad to take on England in their next Six Nations clash.
Calcutta Cup tensions always boil to the fore at Murrayfield but this edition will be a chance for redemption after last weekend’s humbling loss to Italy. An opening day loss in a rainy Rome has already left chances of success hanging by a thread and victory is needed here against an England side who thrashed Wales last weekend.
Head coach Townsend is coming under increased scrutiny and has made big calls in his side, with no place for either of Pierre Schoeman or Grant Gilchrist. James Ritchie is deployed in the back row while Nathan McBeth goes into prop and Gregor Brown takes a lock position. Ewan Ashman is injured amid four changes overall and there’s no Edinburgh players either in the starting core.
Gregor Townsend on Scotland loss vs Italy
Townsend said after last week’s loss in Rome: We’re hugely disappointed to lose our first game and in the tournament, that makes things tougher. Obviously the guys are very disappointed with all the effort that was there. A lot of what we trained for was in place, we just gave away too many possessions, whether it was lineouts or on the floor, which was understandable given the conditions.
“We just weren't able to score more points in the first half which made it extremely difficult in the second half but the effort the players put in was tremendous, but just not enough to win the game. There was a lot of good things in there but when we got opportunities in their 22, we just couldn't nail a lineout. But credit goes to Italy, they really put pressure on that area and then when the weather changed, which it did, it becomes a different game.”
“I think if you're ahead in the scoreboard it helps, which Italy were, but we shouldn't have let them get ahead. They got a couple of breakaway tries and we had opportunities that we didn't take and then it made it really tough after that. When you lose, no one's more disappointed than me. Of course there’ll be criticism regarding the result and the performance but I’m going to stand by the team.”
Scotland squad to face England:
15. Tom Jordan – Bristol Bears (13)
14. Kyle Steyn – Glasgow Warriors (29)
13. Huw Jones – Glasgow Warriors (59)
12. Sione Tuipulotu – Glasgow Warriors (34) – Captain
11. Jamie Dobie – Glasgow Warriors (18)
10. Finn Russell – Bath Rugby (90) Vice-captain
9. Ben White – Toulon (32)
1. Nathan McBeth – Glasgow Warriors (6)
2. George Turner – Harlequins (51)
3. Zander Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (77)
4. Gregor Brown – Glasgow Warriors (13)
5. Scott Cummings – Glasgow Warriors (46)
6. Jamie Ritchie – Perpignan (61)
7. Rory Darge – Glasgow Warriors (35) Vice-captain
8. Jack Dempsey – Glasgow Warriors (30)
Replacements
16. Dave Cherry – Vannes (16)17. Pierre Schoeman – Edinburgh Rugby (45)18. Elliot Millar Mills – Northampton Saints (12)19. Max Williamson – Glasgow Warriors (10)~20. Matt Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (60)21. George Horne – Glasgow Warriors (41)22. Adam Hastings – Glasgow Warriors (35)23. Darcy Graham – Edinburgh Rugby (51)