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Bordeaux lock Jonny Gray and Edinburgh hooker Dave Cherry have been recalled to the Scotland squad for the Guinness Six Nations.
Uncapped duo Jack Mann and Fergus Burke have also earned call-ups for the first time, with Glasgow captain Kyle Steyn the most notable absentee from Gregor Townsend’s 37-man pool after sustaining an injury in recent days.
Gray is the most eye-catching inclusion as he won the last of his 77 caps almost two years ago, in the Six Nations match at home to Italy in March 2023.
The 30-year-old second-rower, who missed the 2023 World Cup with a knee injury, appeared to have burned his bridges under Townsend when the head coach expressed “disappointment” in October that he had declined a call-up for the autumn series after returning to action with Bordeaux at the start of this season.
Another player handed a surprise recall for the upcoming championship is 34-year-old Cherry, who has not been included in a single squad since making an early exit from the 2023 World Cup after suffering a concussion when falling on stairs on a day off at the team hotel in Nice the day after coming on as a substitute in the Scots’ pool-stage opener against South Africa.
New Zealand-born Burke – who has a Scottish grandfather – has earned his maiden call-up after moving from Canterbury to Saracens last year and will provide competition for Finn Russell and Tom Jordan at stand-off.
Back-rower Mann, 25, has been playing number eight for Glasgow recently while Jack Dempsey has been injured, although the latter is fit again and included in the Scotland squad despite not playing a match since the November defeat by South Africa.
Warriors clubmate Steyn, however, has not made the squad after suffering a knee injury. The wing’s situation will be monitored as the championship progresses.
Sione Tuipulotu, who was handed the captaincy for the autumn series, continues as skipper, with Russell and Rory Darge named as vice-captains.
Scotland squad: Backs – Fergus Burke (Saracens), Matt Currie (Edinburgh Rugby), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Tom Jordan (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors), Finn Russell (Bath Rugby), Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby), Ben White (Toulon).
Forwards – Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby), Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors), Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Dave Cherry (Edinburgh Rugby), Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors), Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), Jonny Gray (Bordeaux Bègles), Patrick Harrison (Edinburgh Rugby), Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers), Jack Mann (Glasgow Warriors), D’Arcy Rae (Edinburgh Rugby), Dylan Richardson (The Sharks), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby), Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors), Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh Rugby).
