Skinner added to Scotland squad

By Mark Stevens
16/2/20

Exeter Chiefs lock Sam Skinner has been called up into the Scotland squad ahead of their upcoming Guinness Six Nations clash away to Italy.

Skinner, along with Glasgow Warriors back-row forward Matt Fagerson, have both been added by Head Coach Gregor Townsend, who will be looking for his side to respond after losses to Ireland and England in their opening two fixtures.

Respective hamstring and rib injuries ruled the pair out of the initial selection announced by Townsend last month, but both players have impressed for their club sides since their return.

Skinner last featured for Scotland in last year’s Summer Test win over France at Murrayfield, when he sustained the hamstring injury that would rule him out of contention for Rugby World Cup 2019.

He comes in to the squad as a replacement for Jonny Gray, who will head to the Chiefs next season. The experienced lock is sidelined for the rest of the Six Nations due to a hand injury sustained in the Calcutta Cup match against England.

Fagerson’s last Test outing came the following weekend, in the away win over Georgia in Tbilisi, with the 21-year-old narrowly missing out on the Japan tournament.

Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham returned to training last week (Friday), while Gloucester second-row Alex Craig has been released from the squad back to his club.

Exeter’s Stuart Hogg, fresh from scoring his first-ever Gallagher Premiership try in Friday’s 26-15 win at Gloucester, will again skipper the Scots in Rome.

Scotland squad 

Forwards: Simon Berghan (Edinburgh), Jamie Bhatti (Edinburgh), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Allan Dell (London Irish), Cornell du Preez (Worcester Warriors), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Tom Gordon (Glasgow Warriors), Nick Haining (Edinburgh), Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), Willem Nel (Edinburgh), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs), Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh), Ben Toolis (Edinburgh), George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh)

Backs: Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Chris Harris (Gloucester), Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs, capt), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), Sean Maitland (Saracens), Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors), Henry Pyrgos (Edinburgh), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), Ratu Tagive (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Weir (Worcester Warriors)