“I always remembered the surname”: Townsend’s chance meeting with McConnochie senior planted Scots’ seed
Ruaridh McConnochie - along with Ben Healy, Cameron Henderson and Stafford McDowall - are the uncapped four in Scotland's Six Nations squad
©Patrick Khachfe/Onside Images
At pretty much every wider Scotland squad announcement since Gregor Townsend became the head coach back in 2017, there has been a surprise inclusion.
And that was the case again on Tuesday when Townsend selected Bath winger Ruaridh McConnochie in his 40-strong playing group that will meet up on Sunday evening to start preparing for the upcoming Guinness Six Nation
McConnochie, of course, previously won two caps for England in 2019 under Eddie Jones and was part of the GB Sevens men’s team that picked up a silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
The England caps he gained - against Italy in a World Cup warm-up match in Newcastle and at the showpiece event in Japan itself against the USA four years ago - do not block him from playing for the country that his parents are from.
That is because World Rugby’s eligibility rules ‘allow a capped player to switch allegiance to another country they are eligible to play for following a three-year cooling off period’.
So, with Darcy Graham looking set to miss at least the first three games of the Six Nations through injury, what made Townsend turn to 31-year-old McConnochie as a possibility to fill a wing spot at Twickenham versus England on February 4th and beyond?
“Ruaridh is a very good player who is available to us,” Townsend told TRU. “He has been back playing for the last few weeks and I watched him closely before the November Tests.
“I met him in October [in Bath] and he said one of his goals was to get into the Scotland squad and he has made it. Now the hard work continues for him, he has to try and find a way into the 15 or the 23.
“He has always been a player I have been fond of. I met his Dad [Rennie] years ago - at a time when I was between playing and coaching - at an event in London and, from that day, I always remembered the surname.
“He said ‘look out for my son he is playing for London Scottish under-18s’. When, a few years later, I saw someone called McConnochie was playing for England Sevens, I realised it was the same player.
“He had not gone to a pro team and England Sevens were picking up players from Championship club teams and university teams and because he was playing at that level [for England], it seemed that he was not going to play for Scotland.
“From there, he got a pro contract with Bath [ahead of the 2018/19 season] and got into the England XVs team, but with the World Rugby law change he now becomes available to Scotland where all his family have been brought up and a lot of them remain.
“It is a great story and great that we have a player of quality that has played Test match rugby before coming into our squad when we are missing Darcy and a few others - we are looking forward to working with him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be highly motivated”: McConnochie to push hard for Twickenham spot
Having started his rugby journey at London Scottish around age seven and played for Cranbrook College in his teens, McConnochie had stints in senior rugby with Nuneaton, Hartpury College and New Zealand side Rangataua before signing for England Sevens in 2015.
He has also represented England Students and Counties with the high points of his career no doubt being in 2016 in Brazil and three years later in Japan, especially when he scored a try for England against the Americans in Kobe.
Now, if he impresses Townsend and his coaching staff in upcoming training camps on the outskirts of Edinburgh and in Spain, in two-and-a-half weeks time, he could be looking to score tries against England at Twickenham in the Calcutta Cup clash.
Townsend said: “When I spoke with Ruaridh in October, he said it was a goal of his to break into the squad. A couple of players from other countries got in contact with us when this law [from World Rugby] came around to say ‘this is something I’d love to do, I know I’ll have to play really well to be in your thoughts, but this is what I want to do’.
“So, I’m sure Ruaridh will be highly motivated with his family coming from here and having that Scottish bloodline but really when players come into your squad, it’s about how well they integrate with their teammates, how quickly they pick up information, how suited they are to the way we want to play and, obviously, how well they play. That’s what we’re looking for.
“Their identity and what motivates them is their own area. We want to see the best of them out on the field. He has had some injuries over the last two or three years, so it’s great now that he’s got over them and had a run of games. He played at the weekend [for Bath against Toulon] and played two games before that as well.
“And like all our players, we wish them good luck with their fitness over the next few weeks. As of now, everyone [in this squad] is available for that first game [versus England].”
Healy, Henderson and McDowall: The other three uncapped players
The trio of other players named in the wider squad looking to make their debuts on February 4 are Munster stand-off Ben Healy, Glasgow Warriors’ centre Stafford McDowall and Leicester Tigers’ second-row Cameron Henderson.
Healy, 23, will be joining Edinburgh Rugby in the summer and the former Ireland under-20 cap qualifies through his maternal grandparents.
“Ben really impressed us as coaches in his last two games which were off the bench against Ulster when he made a winning difference and then the following week when he started against the Lions and played really well,” Townsend explained.
“We feel he’s got a game which could easily transfer to Test level. He’s very knowledgeable around attack shape, decision-making, is very connected and he’s got a really strong kicking game from hand and at goal.
“Callum [Hunter-Hill] is injured, he’s out for three or four months. He was playing well for Saracens and deserved to be rewarded, but Cammy [Henderson] was outstanding at the weekend for Leicester in a great win at Clermont.
“He played 80 minutes, was calling the lineouts and was physical. He has had a tough time with an injury just when he was making a breakthrough, so it’s great to see him back.
“And we love Stafford, he’s one of the hardest working players and it is that hard work and desire to improve that has brought rewards.
“[Head coach] Franco Smith went to Glasgow and didn’t know the players at all. The ones who stood out in pre-season were given opportunities and those who grabbed them got more opportunities.
“Stafford, from where he was a year ago to now being in the Scotland squad and captaining his club team last week, well it’s been some rise.”
Scotland squad for the 2023 Guinness Six Nations
Forwards
Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks) 6 caps
Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby) 3 caps
Simon Berghan (Glasgow Warriors) 31 caps
Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) 25 caps
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) 57 caps
Dave Cherry (Edinburgh Rugby) 8 caps
Andy Christie (Saracens) 4 caps
Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby) 2 caps
Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) 4 caps
Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 28 caps
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 54 caps
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) 59 caps
Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs) 72 caps
Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 69 caps
Cameron Henderson (Leicester Tigers) uncapped
WP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) 50 caps
Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby, C) 36 caps
Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 16 caps
Javan Sebastian (Scarlets) 3 caps
Sam Skinner (Edinburgh Rugby) 23 caps
Rory Sutherland (Ulster Rugby) 22 caps
George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 29 caps
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) 54 caps
Backs
Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby) 39 caps
Ben Healy (Munster Rugby) uncapped
Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) 96 caps
George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 18 caps
Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 31 caps
Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) 38 caps
Sean Maitland (Saracens) 53 caps
Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath Rugby) uncapped
Stafford McDowell (Glasgow Warriors) uncapped
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) 58 caps
Cameron Redpath (Bath Rugby) 4 caps
Finn Russell (Racing 92) 65 caps
Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors) 2 caps
Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 5 caps
Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 11 caps
Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 23 caps
Ben White (London Irish) 9 caps
