George Horne and Jamie Ritchie up for the test

George Horne and Jamie Ritchie will reunited for Scotland this week. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Former Howe of Fife pair George Horne and Jamie Ritchie will spearhead Gregor Townsend’s 2021 autumn nations series.

Horne, from Cupar, and Ritchie, of Strathkinness, are both included in the Scotland head coach’s 36-man squad for a two day training camp ahead of the tests.

Scotland will play four games in this year’s series at BT Murrayfield Stadium against Tonga on Saturday, October 30, Australia on Sunday, November 7, South Africa on Saturday, November 13 and Japan on Saturday, November 20. The squad brings together predominantly home-based players, 19 of whom featured in the 2021 Scotland summer squad which was unable to play its three intended matches due to Covid-19.

That includes Ritchie, who plays his club sport with Edinburgh Rugby.

Horne, now with Glasgow Warriors, returns to the set-up.

Both Glasgow and Edinburgh currently sit inside the top five of the United Rugby Championship table.

Townsend has also brought in four new faces with an uncapped quartet of three forwards and a back being introduced to the national squad for the first time.

The training squad will meet on Sunday October, 17 and train a day later at Oriam High Performance centre outside Edinburgh.

Speaking on the selection, head coach Townsend said: “It has been great to see both Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors make positive starts to their URC campaigns driven by some standout performances from both young and established players.

“With four tough test matches ahead of us in this year’s autumn nations series it is important we bring players together early, connect with them as coaches and enable them to grow as a group before the campaign gets underway against Tonga at BT Murrayfield.

"We’ll then move on to the challenge of facing in-form Australia, world champions South Africa and a very dangerous Japan team.

“We are pleased with the depth we are able to call upon to make up this training squad and it provides a genuine opportunity for players to put their hand up for selection to the full autumn nations series squad.”

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