Ex-Howe of Fife players bring almost 180 caps’ worth of experience to Scottish national rugby team’s squad for autumn tests
Former Howe of Fife players George Horne, Jamie Ritchie and Matt Fagerson bring almost 180 caps’ worth of experience to the 37-strong squad named by Scottish national rugby team head coach Gregor Townsend this week for four autumn tests next month.
Scrum-half Horne, 31, is currently on 47 caps, with flanker Ritchie, 30, on 63 and No 8 Fagerson, 28, leading the way on 66.
Following Ritchie leaving French Top 14 side Perpignan in the summer, the three are now teammates at Glasgow Warriors and the new recruit made his debut for the Scotstoun Stadium club away to Benetton in Italy on Saturday, helping them to 24-20 a United Rugby Championship victory.
Scotland, captained by their teammate Sione Tuipulotu, begin the first of three autumn tests at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium against New Zealand on Saturday, November 7, with Australia following on Sunday, November 15, and Japan on Saturday, November 21, with kick-offs at 2.10pm, 3.10pm and 2.10pm respectively.
They then wrap up their Nations Championship fixtures against opposition yet to be determined at London’s Twickenham Stadium at the end of next month.
Horne and Tuipulotu’s 14 fellow backs are Darcy Graham, Fergus Burke, Jamie Dobie, George Horne, Rory Hutchinson, Huw Jones, Tom Jordan, Blair Kinghorn, Stafford McDowall, Kyle Rowe, Finn Russell, Ollie Smith, Kyle Steyn, Duhan van der Merwe and Ben White.
The Scots’ 19 other forwards accompanying Ritchie and Fagerson are the latter’s elder brother Zander, Rory Sutherland, Rory Darge, Ewan Ashman, Josh Bayliss, Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings, Alex Craig, Jack Dempsey, Jonny Gray, Gregor Hiddleston, Will Hurd, Ollie Leatherbarrow, McBeth, Liam McConnell, Elliot Millar Mills, Pierre Schoeman, Seb Stephen and Max Williamson.
Announcing his squad selection, Townsend, 53, said: “It’s always a waiting game for us, as coaches to see which players are available to finalise our squad.
“We know there are huge games coming up over the next four or five weeks and we see it as another opportunity to progress from what we did last season.”