Townsend names 40-man Scotland squad

Gregor Townsend has named 40 players in his Scotland squad to prepare for their November campaign that includes tests against Wales, Fiji, South Africa, and Argentina. Included are three uncapped players – Exeter lock Sam Skinner, Scarlets No8 Blade Thomson, and Glasgow Warriors center Sam Johnson.

None of the new trio are Scottish-born. Skinner has represented England at u20 level and qualifies through a parent, while Thomson has played for New Zealand u20 and qualifies through a grandparent. Johnson is originally from Australia and a product of Queensland rugby. He has recently completed his three-year residency requirements.

Nine of the team are based outside Scotland and will not be available for the Wales test as it falls outside the official World Rugby test window. Among them are Leicester back row David Denton and France-based halfbacks Greig Laidlaw and Finn Russell.

Scotland are currently ranked 6th in the world, three spots above Argentina. The Scots are coming off an historic tour of the Americas in June that saw them defeat both Canada and Argentina but famously fall to the US Eagles by one point in Houston.

FORWARDS
Alex Allan (Glasgow Warriors), Simon Berghan (Edinburgh), Allan Dell (Edinburgh), Murray McCallum (Edinburgh), WP Nel (Edinburgh), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), Gordon Reid (London Irish), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs), Ben Toolis (Edinburgh), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh), David Denton (Leicester Tigers), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Blade Thomson (Scarlets), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors)

BACKS
George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne, FR), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors), Henry Pyrgos (Edinburgh), Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Finn Russell (Racing 92, FR), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons), Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Dougie Fife (Edinburgh), Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Maitland (Saracens), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks)