Japan Tour

[Wylie Coyote]

Really hope it is Heathcoate. We've seen more than enough from Weir over the years. We know what he can (and more accurately can't) do. Heathcoate has been playing pretty well from the clips I've seen. Give him a run.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I'm not convinced it'll be Weir. He has quite clearly dropped down the pecking order in VC's plans. The question is how far?

Heathcote isn't the answer but he is capable of playing the Scotland game plan far better than Weir.

[Cameo]

I think i would take weir but he would very much be behind Horne (and possibly Laidlaw and Hogg). Just never seen much from Heathcote

[Cameo]

In fact i dont think id take anyone if we werent short on centres

[Croft_No.5]

No news on replacement for Finn yet.

Head coach Vern Cotter and his Scotland management team will weigh their options before deciding on a replacement for Finn Russell on next month’s tour to Japan.

The 23-year-old stand-off was ruled out of the trip to the Far East yesterday following the shocking head injury he picked up in the first minute of the 16-11 Guinness Pro12 semi-final defeat by Connacht in Galway.

The sickening clash with 20-year-old team-mate Zander Fagerson, who also had to depart the field of play, resulted in Russell receiving oxygen before being transferred to hospital, first in 
Galway and then down to 
Dublin. Thankfully, the news yesterday was that he is expected to return home later in the week and doesn’t require surgery.

However, as expected, he will no longer be on the plane to Japan, where Scotland play back-to-back Tests on 18 and 25 June, though there was no immediate confirmation of a replacement.

Ruaridh Jackson, who joins Harlequins from Wasps in the summer, was the other stand-off named in the original compact squad of 27. The most obvious replacement for Russell would be his former Glasgow deputy Duncan Weir, who is now an Edinburgh player.

The fact that Weir was not announced yesterday suggests that Cotter is willing to wait and consider his options and, perhaps, wants to give the player a chance to bed himself in at his new club and get a full pre-season under his belt.

Peter Horne, who was named in the squad as a centre, can also operate at stand-off and has been capped there for Scotland. If he was now considered a No 10 along with Jackson, that would leave a gap in the midfield group which could yet be filled by Mark Bennett. He is in the extended Great Britain Sevens squad for the Rio Olympics and the final cut to 12 is not due to be made until July.

Other options open to Cotter are to draft in 24-year-old former Edinburgh stand-off Tom Heathcote, who has been impressing for Worcester, or promote Adam Hastings from the Under-20 squad to gain senior experience, although that would deprive coach John Dalziel of the Bath prospect for the forthcoming Junior World Cup in Manchester.

Russell is the third player to be forced out of the original
party with injury following Glasgow centre Alex Dunbar
and Harlequins wing Tim Visser, both of whom picked up knee injuries with their clubs and have been replaced by Matt Scott and Sean Lamont. It is an undoubted blow to lose Russell, who has developed into a key player for 
Scotland, considering the way Cotter wants his team to play.

The hope now is that Russell makes a speedy recovery from a freak injury which, mercifully, appears not to be as bad as it potentially could have been.

The Glasgow Warriors statement yesterday said: “Finn and his family really appreciate all the messages of support, with which they have been inundated. His return to training date will be determined when he is back in Glasgow.”

The Scotland squad will convene for a training camp at BT Murrayfield on Monday 6 June before flying out to Japan on Saturday 11 June.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Got to agree that it's quite promising that VC is taking his time over this. Weir always gives 110% and that is admirable but he just stifles most attacking plays.

[Chunks Baws]

Weir's had plenty of chances now. It's time to give someone else a go and Weir should be nowhere near the squad unless he plays his way back in to it.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Aye. I do hope it's Heathcote or Hastings (highly unlikely given the U20s have been untouched). The only stumbling block is that Heathcote has never featured under VC. I am not sure if VC had any input into the squad that went to South Africa in Summer 2013?

[hp18]

Huw Jones joins the tour.

[Chunks Baws]

Interesting. Didn't see that coming. I thought he was a centre, or is he like Horne? Or is he not Finns replacement?

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Huw Jones joins the tour.

This is superb.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Interesting. Didn't see that coming. I thought he was a centre, or is he like Horne? Or is he not Finns replacement?

I have only seen him play a couple of times but I'd say he's someone who can play 11-15 with varying degrees of success. Not a fly half so Horne will be the sole fly half cover and will not be playing any rugby at 12 unless there are injuries.

[hp18]

Interesting. Didn't see that coming. I thought he was a centre, or is he like Horne? Or is he not Finns replacement?

13. Yes he is Finns replacement.

[hp18]

Andy Nicol
‏@AndyNic9
So another player I have never heard of picked for the full Scotland squad. God, I'd hate to be a young Scottish player these days #brutal

Twat.

[Cameo]

Andy Nicol
‏@AndyNic9
So another player I have never heard of picked for the full Scotland squad. God, I'd hate to be a young Scottish player these days #brutal

Twat.

dont fully disagree with him to be honest

[Chunks Baws]

Andy Nicol
‏@AndyNic9
So another player I have never heard of picked for the full Scotland squad. God, I'd hate to be a young Scottish player these days #brutal

Twat.

LOL. I wonder if he'll change his tune once he realises he is Scottish. What a tit. And how has a paid pundit not heard of the lad? Most fans have at least heard of him and heard that we were looking at him.

[hp18]

Andy Nicol
‏@AndyNic9
So another player I have never heard of picked for the full Scotland squad. God, I'd hate to be a young Scottish player these days #brutal

Twat.

dont fully disagree with him to be honest

Care to elaborate?

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Andy Nicol
‏@AndyNic9
So another player I have never heard of picked for the full Scotland squad. God, I'd hate to be a young Scottish player these days #brutal

Twat.

dont fully disagree with him to be honest

You may not like Huw Jones being called up and I would be interested to hear your reasoning. However, Andy Nicol is talking out of his arse. Huw Jones was born in Scotland and he's 22 years old, he's a young Scottish player lol.

Huw Jones is also a regular player at a top team in one of the best leagues in the world. If Andy hasn't heard of him then that's his problem. Jones is not a no-name.

Can't stand this tw@t, he's an embarrassment whenever the 6N comes on.

[OptimisticJock]

I thought he wanted to play for England?

[Chunks Baws]

'My point on young players,when I played we knew who we were competing against cos you played against them. Now it's a global playing field.'

LOL at Nicol trying to cover up making an arse of himself.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

'My point on young players,when I played we knew who we were competing against cos you played against them. Now it's a global playing field.'

LOL at Nicol trying to cover up making an arse of himself.

"Apparently, I should know everyone playing anywhere in the world who has any connection to play for Scotland. #toughschool"

Cannot stand this knob.

[Cameo]

Twat.

dont fully disagree with him to be honest

Care to elaborate?

I think all I mean is that I am a lot more excited when a new player comes through for Scotland who has come through the system. In my dream world they do it the finn russell way with a bit of club rugby too. In contrast (and im not saying we shouldnt pick him) Huw just seems like a lucky break that some guy who is good at rugby happened to be born in Scotland

[Mellsblue]

'My point on young players,when I played we knew who we were competing against cos you played against them. Now it's a global playing field.'

LOL at Nicol trying to cover up making an arse of himself.

Fairly standard for Nicol. He's the worst pundit on the awful BBC 6N panel.

[Chunks Baws]

The gift that keeps on giving. He's getting it tight on Twitter and having a sulk. What a soft cunt.

"Can any of the experts on here who have been tracking Scotland's latest player for years tell me if he is playing for Stormers tomorrow??"

[Big D]

It's an interesting debate, wee Heathcote and Jones are clear outliers on the eligibility front.

Not educated or lived in Scotland for any great length of time (days in TH case) but you can't really raise the eligibility rules higher than born in the country.

You can't change that either. To slightly contrive a situation that is clearly different to TH and Jones but why I think these outliers just need to be accepted as things that will happen. I have a 2 year old and a 2 day old. Say I moved next week to Australia for good, and they grew up to be international class. If I raised them to be proud of their Scottish roots why shouldn't they be able to play for Scotland.