Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend completed his 44-strong Rugby World Cup training squad by selecting Glasgow Warriors’ Scott Cummings and Kyle Steyn to fill the two remaining places.
Townsend named a 42-man squad earlier this month leaving two places aside for players to force their way into contention in the season’s final games. Cummings and Steyn, both of whom are uncapped, played in all Glasgow’s games during the Guinness PRO14 run-in and played in Saturday’s 18-15 loss to Leinster in the final at Celtic Park.
It means, however, that Richie Gray, the 62-times capped Toulouse lock and the last Scottish player to appear in a British Lions test, will now not be considered for Japan unless there is a spate of injuries in the second row spots.
Gray, who hasn’t played for Scotland since the final 6 Nations test of 2017 due to two separate injuries, was still considered by many to one of the best front-line locks available to Scotland, but was not one of four locks originally picked.
He was one of several players being given a chance to impress in the final games of the season but coming on as second half replacement in Toulouse’s win over Perpignan at the weekend was his sole appearance for his club since the initial squad was named.
Instead Cummings (22) and Steyn (25) have been rewarded for their outstanding form in the final weeks of the domestic season, with Townsend saying yesterday the big Glasgow lock’s selection was “a testament to how well he has performed throughout the season and in particular over the past few weeks.”
“Scott has played very well in some crucial games for Glasgow and has really taken his game to the opposition,” said Townsend.
“He was impressive in his ball carrying, defence and his all-round work-rate on Saturday against Leinster and we look forward to working with him and the other four second-rows in our squad.”
Steyn, said Townsend, would be seen more as a wing than at centre, where he’d played for Glasgow for the last month.
“Kyle has made an excellent impact since his debut for Glasgow earlier this season and has displayed strong defensive capabilities as well as a providing go-forward for his team when carrying ball.
“His versatility is a bonus. With every game he has looked more assured and, from our point of view, he will primarily be considered a winger who can cover the centre position.
“We have others in our squad that we view more as centre/wings but I’m sure over the course of the summer Kyle will get the opportunity to show what he can do in both positions.”
Cummings is a former pupil of Kelvinside Academy in Glasgow and represented Scotland throughout the age-grades, captaining the U20 side in the 2015 World Championships in Manchester.
Steyn (25) has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the last year, joining Scotland 7s before forcing his way into Glasgow Warriors’ backline, long before the one-year deal he signed for the 2019/20 season even started.
South African-born Steyn qualifies as a result of his mother Gillian, who was born in Glasgow.