SRU confident Anglos will be released by clubs

Scotland coach Vern Cotter expects to have the five England-based players he has named in his 31-man squad available for next month’s autumn Test series despite a funding row with Aviva Premiership clubs.

Skipper Greig Laidlaw, Tim Visser, Duncan Taylor, Moray Low and Sean Maitland were named by Cotter yesterday despite Premiership Rugby Ltd voting to withold the players over a dispute about alleged outstanding injury bills.

Scotland have been grouped with Italy, Samoa and Tonga who the English clubs believe owe them money.

A Scottish Rugby spokesman said: “We are in positive talks with PRL and expect our players to be available.”

And Cotter added: “That is an executive issue and (Scottish Rugby Union chief executive) Mark Dodson is dealing with that at the minute, so I’m not sure where it’s going to get to.

“But we are anticipating having the players available to us, so I will let the whole thing unfold over the next couple of days, then we will know a bit more.”

0 Greig Laidlaw: Captain

Cotter remained coy, however, about reports that he is set to take Scotland assistant Nathan Hines with him to French Top 14 club Montpellier. when he joins them in June.

Earlier this month The Scotsman revealed that incoming Scotland chief Gregor Townsend will have current joint Glasgow and Scotland defence guru Matt Taylor and Warriors forwards coach Dan Mcfarland as part of his team, while Cotter’s attack coach Jason O’halloran and pack boss Jonathan Humphreys will link up with Dave Rennie at Scotstoun.

“I think something official will come through for that,” said Cotter. “It’s not the right time for me to make a comment on it, because I think something will come through fairly soon. I think we’ll wait for the announcement.”