Scottish Rugby

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend discusses his anger and disappointment at Bordeaux second row Jonny Gray making himself unavailable for Scotland's Autumn Tests squad.

Hear from Townsend on the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

Gregor Townsend may have lost his voice earlier in the week, but he hasn't lost his touch when putting together an autumn squad with more storylines than Huw Jones has running lines.

A new captain, for a start. One set of brothers in - the Tuipulotus or the Twoipulotus - and another set of brothers out - the Grays, as in fade to…

The elevation of a teenager in Freddy Douglas; the return of a forgotten man in D’Arcy Rae, who hasn’t played for Scotland in six years; the omission of a cult hero in Johnny Matthews and the as yet unannounced, but now certain, international retirement of Richie Gray, who's off to Japan next month.

There are five uncapped players and in a squad of 45 there are 23 who have 10 caps or fewer, including five of the seven second-rows, two of the three hookers and half the props.

Townsend was in good form on Wednesday, despite his croakiness. He always is before the action begins in earnest. The one time his mood turned a little darker was when he was asked about Jonny Gray's absence.

Gray, now excelling with Bordeaux after missing 18 months through injury, has made himself unavailable. Has he been leaned on by his club or is this entirely of his volition? Either way, Townsend was "angry and disappointed" that Gray has ruled himself out.

Townsend has always been a major champion of the younger Gray, so this snub will hurt. The consolation for the coach is he's got other locks coming through. There are seven of them in the squad - despite the absence of the Grays and the injured Sam Skinner and Cameron Henderson - and none of them are makeweights.

Kyle Steyn's injury is a considerable blow. So is Andy Onyeama-Christie's cruel luck. Rugby life is brutal, though. It moves on. In the case of Matthews, it's particularly hard.

Townsend has named four loosheads and four tightheads, but only three hookers. Ewan Ashman is first choice. Patrick Harrison looks like his deputy. Dylan Richardson of the Sharks is the other one.

Harrison is tough and dynamic and has roared into contention in recent weeks. His inclusion is exciting. Richardson, a converted back-row with relatively little game-time at hooker, is involved largely because of his good showings against Canada and Chile on Scotland's summer tour.

Fans of Matthews must be bamboozled by all of this. Why ignore the guy who started the quarter-final, semi-final and final of Glasgow's historic URC campaign? Why leave out the competition's leading try scorer last season? Why not just make it a squad of 46 instead of 45 and pick Matthews?

What's obvious is the increased level of dog in this group. Max Williamson is a monster, Ben Muncaster has bludgeoned his way into view, Harrison has been blisteringly good and Gregor Brown is one tough boy, too.

Mosese Tuipulotu’s inclusion was expected - and it’s fascinating. Euan Ferrie would probably have featured, too, if he hadn't picked up an injury. Douglas is a teenager, but he's a special talent in the making. Belligerent and unyielding.

There's a red flag waving madly over the tighthead position, where resources are paper thin, but the rest of it looks compelling. So many new faces, so many interesting characters, so much hope before the big days dawn next month.

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has been speaking to the media after naming his 45-man squad for the Autumn Tests.

Here are the key lines:

• Sione Tuipulotu "thrives" on being a leader and captain and it helps him play better. He can take some of the burden away from Finn Russell by leading the side.

• Jonny Gray's absence is "disappointing" because the second row and club Bordeaux have chosen for him not to be involved after returning from a long-term injury at the start of the season.

• Ben Muncaster is a "great character" who brings "positive energy" but his form has got him into the squad. The Edinburgh player adds "speed" from the back row which is a "point of difference".

• "Exciting" series which includes a Scotland ‘A’ game against Chile and a Test with Portugal which means more players will see game-time for Scotland

Gregor Townsend has confirmed his Scotland squad for next month's Autumn Tests - now we want your views.

Sione Tuipulotu will captain the side against South Africa, Australia, Fiji and Portugal, while his brother Mosese has been called up for the first time.

There are also first call-ups for New Zealand-born Tom Jordan as well as Alex Samuel, Ben Muncaster and Freddy Douglas.

And D'Arcy Rae, Rory Hutchinson and Darcy Graham have been recalled

But what about Jonny and Richie Gray missing out, along with Johnny Matthews, Hamish Watson and Magnus Bradbury?

Click here, external to have your say.

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Rugby sevens being dropped from the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is "incredibly disappointing", says former Scotland captain Colin Gregor.

The scaled-down event will feature just 10 sports - 12 fewer than the 2022 staging in Birmingham.

Rugby sevens is a notable omission, having been part of every Commonwealth Games from 1998 onwards.

"The fact that these ones are in Glasgow, back on home territory, it makes it even more painful," Gregor, who competed at Glasgow 2014, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland.

"It's incredibly disappointing. But it's just about using that energy, refocusing for the next events you're at and cracking on.

"You hear [Commonwealth Games Scotland chairman] Ian Reid saying that just because sports are not involved in these Games, they can be in future.

"It's whether it's used as fuel just to keep competing and keep getting as good as you can in the hope that you will be back in the Commonwealth Games."

Meanwhile, Gregor, who is now head of operations at Basketball Scotland, says the inclusion of 3x3 basketball and wheelchair basketball in the 2026 Games is "a great opportunity for a sport that’s really growing to get in the public eye".

Sandy Smith
Fan writer

When Cardiff took the lead on the 28-minute mark, all the territory and possession Edinburgh had enjoyed up to that point felt a little wasted.

A tiny bud of fear took hold and the worry was that despite all those 22m entries Cardiff may have had our measure.

However, despite those misgivings it felt like I was watching an Edinburgh that had perhaps downloaded a new version. Maybe not a whole number upgrade but a .75 that incorporated some new functionality.

Our wingers had been on the ball as early as the second minute and there seemed to be more variety creeping into our plays. There were some decent midfield breaks, a couple of excellent attacking kicks by Ross Thompson, and then Duhan van der Merwe's fantastic acrobatic finish just after half-time gave the lead back to Edinburgh. After that the nerves were gone.

The introduction of the three front rowers in the aftermath of that try sealed Cardiff's fate and for the second time in two games Edinburgh kept their visitors try-less in the second half.

Our wingers had the most carries between them of the season so far and more importantly both of them got on the scoresheet.

Ali Price was a deserving player of the match. He's come in for a bit of justified criticism but had a good game last week and followed it up with an even better one on Saturday with both his contributions in defence and attack being notable.

We have risen to seventh in the table and a win against Ospreys would see us go into the break for the autumn internationals in a good place.

Our form is on the up and it will need to be for this trip. We haven't won in Swansea since 2009.

Sandy Smith can be found at The Burgh Watch, external

Grant Young
Fan writer

Glasgow deservedly emerged with two points from a close and bruising game against what was effectively a South Africa select last weekend.

The Sharks squad boasted 14 players who have represented the Springboks in recent months and for a while it looked like the hosts were going to run away with five points while conceding zero.

But the Warriors have always prided themselves on being able to play the full 80 minutes and that spirit and determination was symbolised perfectly with the crucial last try.

Stafford McDowall broke the line and advanced 30 metres, then his offload ended up getting wide to Kyle Rowe, who pinned back his ears to make it to five metres out, with the clock well in the red, before offloading in the tackle to Johnny Matthews to score.

The full 15 got through a pile of work and only a tough yellow against Gregor Brown allowed the Sharks some quick scores.

There is a major difference to how South African sides play at home. Their aggression is incredible and it was tough going for the Warriors at times. A prime example was a 5m scrum close to the Sharks line and 30 seconds later the Warriors had lost ground and were back in their own half having to build the attack again.

Individuals like Rory Darge continue to impress with his hard-nosed workman style and in the backs Rowe put in the yards as he looks to add to his Scotland appearances in the coming weeks.

Leadership is a big part of these games and it is fascinating to see how both teams do it. You see a lot of chat from experienced Sharks players in the direction of the referee, especially the front row at scrum time, whereas Glasgow do not do this. Is this 'dark arts' an area where Glasgow need to improve?

With week one in South Africa now ticked off, there is time for sore bodies to recover before facing Stormers on Saturday.

Franco Smith so far this season has heavily rotated his available players. They have had their struggles on the road but looked to be at their free-flowing best at home.

Will that continue next weekend or can Glasgow head into the autumn internationals on a high?

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

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Criticism hurt Edinburgh players

After three successive defeats to open their league season, Edinburgh were widely accused of being a soft touch.

Memories of their failure to reach the play-offs last season were still fresh in the minds of fans and pundits alike when Lions put 48 points past them in a dismal first-half showing at the start of this month.

However, a home win over Stormers stopped the rot and they built on that with a well-deserved win over Cardiff.

Post-match, captain Grant Gilchrist said they were "going to prove people wrong every weekend".

He sounded like a man who meant it too, angered by the questions raised over Edinburgh's character.

Price brings control Everitt was after

Fly-half Ben Healy was dropped entirely after the Lions debacle, with head coach Sean Everitt saying his side were "directionless" in Johannesburg.

On Saturday, the direction and impetus was certainly there, with Ali Price and Ross Thompson controlling the game from nine and 10.

Price in particular was superb, and was given the player of the match award. If he can deliver influential performances week-in, week-out, Edinburgh should continue moving in the right direction.

Van der Merwe more involved

Edinburgh are still yet to full click into top gear in attack, one suspects, but the win over Cardiff was certainly a step in the right direction.

Duhan van der Merwe - arguably Edinburgh's biggest name, and certainly one of their biggest earners - has too often been a passenger since his return to the capital club, but he saw plenty of the ball on Saturday. To great effect, too.

The giant winger made four clean breaks, made 139 metres with ball in hand and took his try superbly.

Everitt said Edinburgh "desperately" want to keep Van der Merwe when asked about the winger's future last week, and this display was evidence of why.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

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Glasgow show character that made them champions

In addition to sparkling attacking rugby and the ability to score tries in multiple different ways, last season's URC title was won thanks to monumental defence and no small amount of heart.

The team fielded by Sharks on Saturday would not have looked out of place on the international stage, such was the number of Springboks in their matchday squad, but Glasgow pushed their big-name opponents all the way, and on another day, two points could have been five.

Franco Smith's side stuck to their process throughout, undaunted by falling 16 points behind in the second half, and went through the gears in the final stages, with the Johnny Matthews try in particular a thing of beauty.

Lesser teams would have left Kings Park with nothing; Glasgow are different.

Horne stakes claim for Scotland scrum-half spot

George Horne can probably county himself slightly unfortunate to only have 32 Scotland caps to his name, with the majority of them coming as a replacement.

The 29-year-old was a key figure in Glasgow's title win. His energy, his support lines, his speed of ball and his goal kicking make him a well-rounded top-class scrum-half.

He has never managed to get to the front of the queue for Scotland, but is this his time?

Horne was excellent again against Sharks, and his two first-half tries - both of them tracking the play down the left - showed just how well he reads the game.

With four Test matches to come in November for Gregor Townsend's side, performances like that can only boost Horne's case.

Sloppy mistakes the difference?

For all the good elements to Glasgow's performance in Durban, they will look back on two of the three tries they conceded with real regret.

Aphelele Fassi diving over after a quick tap penalty, with Glasgow slow to react, was so unlike the Warriors.

Under Smith, their attention to detail is part of what sets them out. They pride themselves on being brilliantly structured and incredibly focused, but they fell short in that moment.

And then, in the second half, Grant Williams' decisive score came after Jamie Dobie's kick went straight into touch after Glasgow were awarded a scrum free-kick.

Some of the decisions made by referee Chris Busby angered Glasgow fans on social media and the visitors did fall on the wrong side of the penalty count. Still, without those two tries, penalty goals would not have been enough for the South African outfit.

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Edinburgh centre Mark Bennett has undergone surgery on an injured quad muscle and will be out of action until February, the club have announced.

In more positive news for Edinburgh, lock Glen Young is back fit and available for selection for Saturday's URC trip to Ospreys.

GLASGOW

Gareth: Superb performance from Glasgow to get two points in a game where most teams would get none. The next fixture will be another tough one but anything other than zero points will be a good return. From then on, the season looks a lot easier.

Ben: The Glasgow performance was excellent for the majority of the game, they really stood up to the physicality of the Boks/Sharks. I think the referee didn't give Glasgow the rub of the green which could have made for a more even second half, but ultimately they did well to stay in the fight and get those two bonus points which could be crucial.

EDINBURGH

George: Where has that version of Ali Price been? Looked like he was getting back to the form that got him picked for the Lions. On to the next game for Edinburgh as they have to win it.

Arran: First half was sloppy at times and not great execution with a good amount of pressure from Edinburgh. Second half was much better and capitalised on Cardiff mistakes to come away with a good bonus point win. Price had his best game of the season and forwards showed good physicality again.

Rod: A good result for Edinburgh but we still lack the killer ability to score. Numerous entries into their 22 with no result. Where is the guile the dummy runners? Great backs but still with a very poor attacking game plan.

Gareth: Edinburgh's power proving to be their strongest asset so far, Graham and Rae have to be in the Scotland team.

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Edinburgh captain Grant Gilchrist tells Premier Sports: "One game can't define us. Two weeks ago people were questioning our character, so we're going to prove people wrong every weekend.

"If we had been more clinical and our breakdown was better, we should have had two or three tries in that first half. We stuck to task and ground it out, that's as pleasing as cutting a team open because it shows character.

"If we can generate quick ball and get our backs space, these guys are going to score tries. When we are at home, we want five points."

Glasgow and Edinburgh fans, what did you make of Saturday's URC action?

A narrow defeat by Sharks for Franco Smith's defending champions, while Edinburgh earned a hard-fought bonus-point win against Cardiff.

Have your say here, external.

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Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt tells Premier Sports: "Frustrating. We created so many opportunities and weren't able to capitalise on them. Also proud how the guys stuck to the task and managed to get the bonus point at the end.

"Attack takes a while to build and it's something we wanted to improve on. There were glimpses of what we wanted to do tonight, we got the ball into the wingers' hands more often. The guys are in a good place.

"The starting front row deserved a start today after their recent performances off the bench, and then the replacements came on and did a job for us."

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Glasgow captain Sione Tuipulotu tells Premier Sports: "Massively proud of the effort, but we came here to win this game.

"We put ourselves in a position to do that, but there were a couple of moments we let slip and they will punish you for that.

"There was a period after half-time where we lost the kicking battle a little bit. We'll try to take what we did in the last 10 minutes into next week."

We asked for your thoughts after Scotland were drawn in Pool B for next summer's Rugby World Cup in England, alongside Canada, Wales and Fiji.

Here's what you had to say:

Jane Taylor: After the WXV2 we need to improve and learn how to be more clinical. Opening two games should have had bonus points. Australia were a step up again. If we can keep the improvements going then the rest will be against Canada. Very exciting!

J Turner: Ambitious hopes for a semi-final somewhat shattered by the likely match up in the quarter-finals against England, but the momentum and energy around these girls is still going to be fantastic to watch! Greatest concern now is scheduling; suspicions of a Wales game located in Bristol makes a tough 'away' crowd.

BBC Scotland's chief sports writer Tom English has been answering your Scottish rugby questions.

Pete Douglas asked: Did we see anything in that Edinburgh win that suggests an evolution in the attack? I saw a lot of the same from last season. Keep in tight, forwards carrying hard but very little width or deception. Also, where does this leave Ben Healy?

Tom answered: I saw more power, more ruthlessness in finishing chances and more hunger to keep going and looking for more. Didn't see a huge evolution in attack, no. But they needed to win that game in whatever way they had to win it. Not sure it was ever going to be a bells and whistles afternoon.

A good win, but it's just one win. Edinburgh have a long, long way to go. As for Healy, I think he'll be in and out of the Edinburgh team and, for me anyway, he's down to fourth in the international pecking order behind Finn Russell, Adam Hastings and the newly available Tom Jordan. Gregor Townsend names his autumn squad next week

Jock Tamson asked: Glasgow and Edinburgh are both making progress if you review the past few years. However - to sustain and grow the game we need more money. Are there any Scottish billionaires/millionaires investing money in our teams and stadiums? I remember JK Rowling being at a Scotland international…

Tom answered: I see loads of proof that Glasgow have found a new and champion level. I don't see anything to suggest that Edinburgh are on a similar path. They're under-achieving, big-time.

John McGuigan has spoken about trying to reach out to high net-worth Scots abroad to see if he could encourage them to get involved. It wouldn't be for the pro teams or stadiums, though. If he was to get any investment from individuals it would be for the advancement of youth rugby. That's where a lot of money is required. Not sure if he's managed to talk to any financial heavy-hitter about it yet. I'll ask him soon.

Stuart Findlay asked: A good win for Edinburgh (finally) but another anonymous outing for Duhan van der Merwe. With few attacking mentions of late and repeated defensive frailties, should Edinburgh be trying hard to keep him, or let him go to France where maybe he can recover some form to bring back to the Scotland setup?

Tom answered: It's a really interesting one, Stuart. Van der Merwe is arguably Edinburgh's biggest name but he's been underwhelming in an Edinburgh jersey for quite a while. He'll be a huge earner. There is a definite argument to be made about getting him off the SRU wage bill and then using that money to strengthen in a couple of positions.

A move to France hasn't done Blair Kinghorn any harm. Maybe it's what Van der Merwe needs. He looks stale to me. I've never been a fan of his work-rate or his defence or his all-round rugby nous, but as a ball-carrier there are few better. We all know how devastating he can be. He needs to recapture the best version of himself soon.

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Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt has made five changes to the side that beat Stormers last weekend for Saturday's United Rugby Championship match against Cardiff.

Scotland international Luke Crosbie makes his first start of the season in the back row, replacing Jamie Ritchie.

Props Boan Venter and D'Arcy Rae both come into the side, preferred to Pierre Schoeman and Paul Hill, while lock Marshall Sykes also starts.

Matt Currie is the only new face in the back line, partnering Mosese Tuipulotu in the centres in place of Matt Scott.

"Cardiff's backs have scored the majority of their tries, and they've managed to combine that now with a really strong set-piece and that's become a weapon of theirs," Everitt said.

"In all aspects of the game, we need to be really sharp on Saturday to be able to get the win."

Edinburgh XV to face Cardiff: Goosen, Graham, Currie, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe, Thompson, Price; Venter, Harrison, Rae, Sykes, Gilchrist, Crosbie, Muncaster, Bradbury.

Replacememts: Ashman, Shoeman, Hill, Hodgson, Watson, Vellacott, C. Scott, M. Scott.

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Sebastian Cancelliere will make his return from injury when Glasgow Warriors take on Sharks in Durban in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday.

The Argentina international is one of eight changes made by head coach Franco Smith to the side that beat Zebre last time out.

Nathan McBeth and Gregor Hiddleston come into the front row, while lock Max Williamson replaces Gregor Brown.

Matt Fagerson comes into the back row to join fellow Scotland caps Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey.

In the backs, Tom Jordan is preferred to Adam Hastings at fly-half, Sione Tuipulotu returns to captain the side, and Josh McKay joins Cancelliere and Kyle Rowe in the back three.

"To play a Sharks side containing 12 Springboks coming off a Rugby Championship win is a daunting task, and one that will be a big opportunity for us to measure ourselves against," Smith said.

"The levels of experience in the Sharks squad are near-unmatched in the URC and is a hallmark of the quality they have available.

"It's a chance to test ourselves against the world’s best at one of the toughest venues in the competition."

Glasgow XV to play Sharks: McKay, Cancelliere, McDowall, Tuipulotu, Rowe, Jordan, Horne; McBeth, Hiddleston, Z. Fagerson, Williamson, Cummings, M. Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.

Replacements: Matthews, Sutherland, Talakai, Samuel, Brown, Venter, Dobie, Hastings.

Scotland have been drawn in Pool B for next summer's Rugby World Cup in England, alongside Canada, Wales and Fiji.

What do you make of the draw? Are you confident about Scotland's chances in the tournament?

Have your say here, external.