SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Scots recall Barclay for Six Nations

Scotland have named their side for their opening Six Nations championship game against England, recalling flanker John Barclay.

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Scotland have recalled flanker John Barclay for their opening Six Nations championship game against England at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Blindside Barclay, who did not feature at last year's World Cup and has played just two tests since 2013, has been in good form this season for his club side Scarlets and starts in place of Blair Cowan who drops to the bench.

In the only other change to the starting side from Scotland's last game, their agonising last-gasp World Cup quarter-final defeat by Australia in October, Matt Scott replaces the injured Peter Horne at inside centre.

Scott will line up alongside Mark Bennett who has been passed fit to play after recovering from a shoulder injury.

Uncapped prop Zander Fagerson has been named as a replacement.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Scotland, who took the wooden-spoon in last year's championship after losing all five matches, have not beaten England since 2008.

Coach Vern Cotter said Scotland were "determined to learn from past experiences" but expected a feisty test from an England side playing their first match under new coach Eddie Jones.

"England will look to build their game from set-phase dominance, while we expect them to have developed their attacking play into the wider channels, which can create challenges as well as opportunities," he said in a Scottish RFU statement.

"We're expecting them to be extremely motivated and physical, and we're looking forward to that challenge. "Continuity and accuracy will be key for us in this game."

Scotland: Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland, Mark Bennett, Matt Scott, Tommy Seymour, Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Al Dickinson, Ross Ford, WP Nel, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, John Barclay, John Hardie, David Denton.

Replacements: Stuart McInally, Gordon Reid, Zander Fagerson, Tim Swinson, Blair Cowan, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Duncan Weir, Duncan Taylor.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world