Vern Cotter has selected a 22-year-old openside flanker who hasn’t played a game for Edinburgh yet while omitting more experienced stalwarts of the Scotland international scene for his first RBS 6 Nations squad.
Hugh Blake, New Zealand-born but Scottish qualified, has played only parts of two representative games since arriving in Scotland in December on what was supposed to be a trial until the end of the season, but is straight into the 32-strong squad for the championship which starts with the meeting with France in Paris on February 7.
But the coach has also swept another new broom through the team. Having discarded former captain Kelly Brown in the autumn, he now has omitted another former captain, Chris Cusiter, as well as Johnnie Beattie, Tim Swinson, Ryan Grant, Ryan Wilson and Scott Lawson, while also resisting the clamour to recall John Barclay.
Blake’s inclusion is the big surprise. The speedy open side who played for New Zealand Under 20 has only played a handful of games for Melrose since he arrived in Scotland but Cotter is impressed by him.
Edinburgh’s improved form sees scrum-half Sam Hidalgo-Clyne replace Cusiter as skipper Greig Laidlaw’s back-up, young lock Ben Toolis get recognition and Hamish Watson is called up ahead of Barclay and the man currently playing at open side for the capital club, Roddy Grant.
Beattie’s omission and the neck injury to Adam Ashe means that David Denton is the only outright No 8 in the squad. Glasgow tight-head Jon Welsh is recalled as is Jim Hamilton, who was left out of the second two November tests.
FORWARDS: Hugh Blake (Edinburgh Rugby), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Cowan, Geoff Cross (both London Irish), David Denton, Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Castres), Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby), Jim Hamilton (Saracens), Rob Harley, Euan Murray, Gordon Reid (all Glasgow Warriors), Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan), Ben Toolis, Hamish Watson (both Edinburgh Rugby), Jon Welsh (Glasgow Warriors).
BACKS: Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby), Alex Dunbar, (Glasgow Warriors) Dougie Fife (Edinburgh Rugby), Stuart Hogg, Peter Horne (both Glasgow Warriors) Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester), Sean Lamont, Sean Maitland, Henry Pyrgos, Finn Russell (all Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Tonks, Tim Visser (both Edinburgh Rugby).