Scots fans sharpen their knives over Blade

SCOTTISH rugby fans are up in arms Scarlets back-rower Blade Thomson is being stopped from making his international debut against Wales inext month.

The 27-year-old Kiwi was one of three uncapped players named in Gregor Townsend’s bumper 40-strong squad for the autumn Tests.

The former New Zealand Under20s No.8 qualifies for the Scots through his Wishaw-born grandfather.

But the Maori All Blacks player, who joined the Scarlets from Super Rugby side the Hurricanes this summer, will have to wait before being the latest member of the ‘Kilted Kiwi’ brigade to make his Scotland debut.

With the opening clash against Wales on November 3 taking place outside of World Rugby’s international calendar – the Scarlets are under no obligation to release Thomson.

And Scottish rugby fans are not happy, with many taking to social media to vent their frustration.

Townsend will also be barred from selecting eight others currently playing their club rugby in England and France for the Principality Stadium showdown.

The Scotland coach did contact his Scarlets counterpart Wayne Pivac seeking permission to throw Thomson into action.

But with the Llanelli outfit – who have handed over 13 members of their squad to Welsh chief Warren Gatland – taking on Edinburgh the night before Scotland arrive, Pivac was in no mood to cooperate.

It means a Glasgow and Edinburgh combined XV will now take on Wales before Townsend welcomes Thomson and the rest of the exiles back for the three Murrayfield clashes with Fiji, South Africa and Argentina.

The Scotland boss said: “The Wales game is outside the World Rugby window. Scarlets are playing Edinburgh that weekend so it would be nice of Wayne Pivac to say to Blade ‘you are available’ but we know that is not going to happen.

“The rules are definitely in place for English and French-based teams and, with the PRO14, it is just bad timing that our teams, Glasgow and Edinburgh, plus the Scarlets are playing that weekend otherwise it would be a free weekend.”

Townsend will be denied the talents of Stuart Hogg, John Barclay, Zander Fagerson, Richie Gray, Duncan Taylor and Tim Swinson for the entire November series through injury.

Wales, too, will have a number of players unavailable with Englishbased players Tomas Francis, Josh Adams, Jonah Holmes, Liam Williams and Dan Biggar being kept back by their clubs with the first weekend of November also featuring Gallagher Premiership games.