Three ex-Howe of Fife players selected for Scottish national rugby team’s autumn test squad
Three former Howe of Fife players look set to add to their combined century-and-a-half plus of Scotland caps after being named in the national rugby team’s 45-strong squad for four autumn tests next month.
Flanker Jamie Ritchie, No 8 Matt Fagerson and scrum-half George Horne are already on 155 caps between them and chances are that they’ll add to that tally over the next few weeks.
Ritchie, 29, is the most capped of the three, on 60 since 2017, with Fagerson, 27, next on 57 since 2018 and Horne, 30, not too far behind on 38, also over the last seven years.
All four autumn internationals are at home at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium and first up for head coach Gregor Townsend’s squad are the USA on Saturday, November 1, with kick-off at 5.40pm, though Ritchie, now at French Top 14 side Perpignan, and the dozen other players based outwith Scotland won’t be eligible for that one as it falls outwith the international window.
Fagerson and Horne, teammates at Glasgow Warriors, will be available for selection for all four.
It’s followed by games against New Zealand seven days later, with kick-off at 3.10pm; Argentina on Sunday, November 16, at the same time; and Tonga on Sunday, November 23, at 1.40pm.
Townsend, 52, said: “In terms of players, we’ve got a great group. They’ve had a lot of caps now together. A lot of our players have over 50 caps. It’s rare to have success when you’re collectively under 500 caps. Our guys are getting closer to 600-700 caps and beyond as a group.
“The stages of certain players and their careers, they’re getting to that sweet spot in terms of experience, knowing what it takes to win, knowing the game physically and skills-wise, being in their prime.”