Scotland Look Ahead to 2015 World Cup with Five Uncapped Players

Scotland Coach Scott Johnson has named a 41-man strong squad yesterday, ahead of next month’s Autumn Internationals, which included five uncapped players.

Glasgow Warriors’ Mark Bennett, Jonny Gray and Chris Fusaro have all been rewarded for their good performances so far this season with a call-up to the Scottish elite squad.

London Irish back-row pairing of Kieran Low and Blair Cowan have also been introduced to the squad ahead of tests against Japan, South Africa and Australia.

All are in contention for Scotland’s first match of the campaign against Japan at Murrayfield on the 9th of November.

The squad will meet next week for a training camp in Glasgow.

28 players remain from the squad that toured South Africa in this summer’s quadrangular tournament, whilst experienced campaigners Ross Ford, Chris Cusiter and John Barclay all return from injury.

Although Scotland were outclassed in their first match of the Six Nations earlier this year against England, the men in blue finished third in the competition, with wins over Italy and a particularly impressive performance against Ireland.

The Scots will be hoping to carry some momentum from their own recent good form and the success of the British Lions in the Southern Hemisphere this summer.

Scott Johnson added that "this squad is about getting the job right for our upcoming Test matches but it's also about the next 24 months as we build towards World Cup 2015," when he spoke to BBC Scotland.

"As I said during the tour we need and want to expand our playing pool and within that we have to be clear on which of our long-experienced players will make the journey to the World Cup.

"We have to make sure, too, that our young players, who have the ability to play international footy, get the mileage on the clock ahead of the World Cup."

Scotland Squad:

Backs: Mark Bennett, Chris Cusiter, Nick De Luca, Alex Dunbar, Max Evans, Tom Heathcote, Ruaridh Jackson, Sean Lamont, Greig Laidlaw, Sean Maitland, Henry Pyrgos, Matt Scott, Tommy Seymour, Duncan Taylor, Greig Tonks, Tim Visser, Duncan Weir.

Forwards: John Barclay, John Beattie, Kelly Brown, Blair Cowan, Geoff Cross, David Denton, Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, Chris Fusaro, Grant Gilchrist, Ryan Grant, Jonny Gray, Richie Gray, Jim Hamilton, Rob Harley, Alastair Kellock, Scott Lawson, Kieran Low, Moray Low, Pat MacArthur, Euan Murray, Alasdair Strokosch, Tim Swinson, Jon Welsh.