The Scotsman

Welsh set for Scots recall as injuries hit

- By DUNCAN SMITH

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend will name his Six Nations training squad at BT Murrayfiel­d today with the main talking points likely to be cover for the injury problems in certain positions.

Front row is the main area of concern but there are opportunit­ies in other areas, too, for some to get their first taste of involvemen­t with the senior national squad, or make returns to the fold.

Townsend’s predecesso­r Vern Cotter named a 37-man squad this time last year and it is possible that Townsend might go with a few more to give extra wiggle room as the opener against Wales in Cardiff on 3 February looms.

It is widely expected that Newcastle tighthead Jon Welsh will return to the full squad and be in pole position to start in the Welsh capital, with the leading duo of WP Nel and Zander Fagerson set to miss most if not all of the tournament.

Edinburgh’s Simon Berghan is suspended but will be named in the squad as his ban is up the day after the Wales game, while there could be a call for either or both young prospects D’arcy Rae of Glasgow and Murray Mccallum of Edinburgh.

With Ross Ford out longterm and Fraser Brown currently sidelined after

suffering numerous head knocks, Stuart Mcinally will be the main hooker, with back up from the Glasgow pair of George Turner and Pat Macarthur.

The Edinburgh loosehead trio of Al Dickinson, Allan Dell and Darryl Marfo are all currently injured, although there are hopes that the latter two are out not long term.

That puts Glasgow 24-yearold Jamie Bhatti in the frame for a first Scotland start after three bench appearance­s in November. Edinburgh’s Rory Sutherland is feeling his way back after along period out but will be another contender for the No 1 jersey, as will former Glasgow man Gordon Reid, now at London Irish, who should make a comeback.

In the second row, Richie Gray is back playing for Toulouse after missing the autumn with a back problem and will get the call but faces a battle to dislodge the homebased trio of his brother Jonny and the in-form Edinburgh pair of Grant Gilchrist and Ben Toolis.

Ryan Wilson’s ankle injury may open the door to a return for Worcester’s David Denton.

Edinburgh-bound Scarlets flanker John Barclay is likely to remain in post as captain, which brings us to the most intriguing backs position – scrum-half.

Greig Laidlaw is on the injury comeback trail with Clermont and will almost certainly be named in the squad, but may find himself on the bench in Cardiff behind Ali Price, who has seized his chance in the skipper’s absence last year.

Glasgow’s free-scoring young scrum-half George Horne could be given the call, potentiall­y leaving the Edinburgh duo of Sam Hidalgocly­ne and Nathan Fowles disappoint­ed. Townsend will have been in talks with Saracens over the fitness of centre Duncan Taylor, who has only played 23 minutes of rugby since his return from injury at the turn of the year. Harlequins wing Tim Visser was the major omission from Townsend’s autumn Tests squad, with the coach revealing that the prolific ex-edinburgh man had been tasked with making improvemen­ts to his all-round game. This morning we’ll discover if his homework has passed muster.

Questions on Townsend’s confidence in the fitness of star full-back Stuart Hogg, who it is hoped will get a first run out since November this weekend, will be to the fore at today’s press conference.

Two days before his 21st birthday, there could be an early reason to celebrate for Edinburgh’s No 15 Blair Kinghorn, pictured, whose recent form could well have been enough to earn him an invite to the party.

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