EDINBURGH – Scotland selected 15 players with Rugby World Cup experience for next month’s tournament in France when they named their 33-man squad on Wednesday but there was no place for former skipper Stuart McInally.
Flanker Jamie Ritchie captains a squad that features four players who will be appearing at a third World Cup including flyhalf Finn Russell, locks Grant Gilchrist and Richie Gray and 37-year-old frontrower WP Nel.
Coach Gregor Townsend did not spring any major surprises in naming his squad, the announcement coming four days after Scotland’s 30-27 loss in a warm-up test in France.
The selection for France is made up of 19 forwards and 14 backs.
Forwards Ritchie, Zander Fagerson, George Turner, Scott Cummings and Hamish Watson are also back for another tilt at the World Cup, as are backs Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Blair Kinghorn and the scrumhalf pair of George Horne and Ali Price.
First choice scrumhalf Ben White is included despite injury concerns.
McInally, Murphy Walker, Josh Bayliss and Jamie Dobie are the four players cut from the 37-man training squad. McInally, who won 49 caps, retires from rugby in November to become an airline pilot.
Fullback Stuart Hogg, who won 100 caps for the country, is absent after announcing his surprise retirement last month, saying his body could no longer take the strain.
Gray is the most-capped member of the squad with 75, while former Ireland under-20 international Ben Healey is the least experienced with only two caps after making his debut in March.
Huw Jones, who was a surprise omission four years ago, is in the squad this time round and expected to be a starter when Scotland take on holders South Africa in their first match in Marseille on Sept. 10. They also face Tonga, Romania and Ireland in Pool B.
The Scots will have a final warm-up test against Georgia at home next week before heading to France.
Forwards: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors), Dave Cherry, Luke Crosbie (both Edinburgh), Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey, Matt Fagerson, Zander Fagerson (all Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors), WP Nel, Jamie Ritchie, Pierre Schoeman, Javan Sebastian, Sam Skinner (all Edinburgh), Rory Sutherland (unattached), George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh).
Backs: Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Chris Harris (Gloucester), Ben Healy (Edinburgh), George Horne, Huw Jones (both Glasgow Warriors), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors), Cameron Redpath, Finn Russell (both 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 Peter Rutherford)
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