REDPATH TAKES HIGH ROAD
Townsend wins race to call on centre
THE protracted tug-ofwar between Scotland and England for the allegiance of Cameron Redpath appears to have been definitively decided in favour of the nation his father Bryan represented 60 times between 1993 and 2003, with the 21-year-old midfielder named yesterday lunchtime in
Gregor Townsend’s 35-man training squad which will meet on Sunday to start preparation for the 2021 Six Nations.
Redpath is one of four uncapped players in the group, alongside Sale Sharks hooker Ewan Ashman, Edinburgh hooker Dave Cherry and Gloucester second-row Alex Craig.
There were also recalls to the squad for prop Allan Dell, hooker Grant Stewart, back-row Gary Graham and winger Byron McGuigan, who were not involved during the Autumn Test schedule.
Meanwhile, Townsend confirmed that Stuart McInally, who injured his neck last week, will be out for a number of months. We already knew that fellow hooker Brown is also likely to miss all of the Championship with a similar neck issue, as will scrumhalf George Horne after foot surgery, while stand-off Adam Hastings is hoping to be back from his shoulder injury for the second half of the Six Nations.
“We look at this as being a three-week block – a camp and two games – then we get a week off,” explained Townsend. “We’ll know better of how
Adam is at that week off. If he can come back and be available for the last two games, that would be on course from where he is now. Anything else would be a bonus.”
Sam Johnson, Duncan Weir, Sam Skinner, Sam HidalgoClyne, Rory Hutchinson,
Ben Toolis, Cornell du Preez and Nick Haining were all available, but not selected.
Redpath was born in France while his father was playing for Narbonne, and has lived in England since before his first birthday,. After his father moved to play his final few seasons at Sale Sharks, then coach at Gloucester, Sharks and Yorkshire Carnegie.
He came through the Sharks academy set-up, representing both Scotland and England at Under-18s level, then England at Under-20s level, before being picked by Eddie Jones to tour to South Africa during the summer of 2018 whilst still a pupil at Sedbergh School.
In the end, injury prevented the youngster from going on that trip and he didn’t get another call-up from Jones during the next two-and-ahalf years, meaning he hasn’t been “captured” by England according to World Rugby eligibility laws and is therefore free to play for Scotland.
Bath paid Sharks a six-figure sum to buy out the remaining three years of his first senior contract last February, and he has been in fine form for the Somerset club.
“We are obviously delighted to be able to announce Cam in the squad, I have been chatting to him for a wee while now,” said Townsend. “We offered him the chance to be in our squad in the autumn but he felt it wasn’t the right time. Now he has come to a decision and he has chosen Scotland.
“He is an excellent player. He has played regularly for Bath this season and he has a lot more to bring, a lot more growth in this game over the next few years. I’m looking forward to working with him.
“Obviously, his Dad played and captained Scotland, and I played alongside his Dad, but that’s not been a factor.
It’s what he feels is right for him now and for the next ten years, however long he has of an international career ahead of him.
“It’s an unusual situation with a family that’s all
Scottish but he’s been brought up in England and played age group rugby for England. It would have been a tough decision with weeks and months thought about it, but we can’t wait to work with him next week.
“He’s a bright lad, a mature lad – he’s already in the leadership group at Bath – and he’s made up his own mind.
“We certainly appreciate and value players who are decisionmakers, are highly skilled, are competitive and who can lead, and Cam is one of those players.”