Monday, August 22, 2011

Scots omit Beattie for World Cup

Robinson on Scotland's World Cup squad

Andy Robinson has named his 30-man squad for the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, with no place for Glasgow Warriors' Johnnie Beattie.

Instead, Kelly Brown, John Barclay, Richie Vernon, Ross Rennie, Alasdair Strokosch and Nathan Hines provide the back row options.

Al Kellock will captain the team at lock, with Chris Paterson set for his fourth World Cup.

Winger Nikki Walker misses out after an injury against Italy on Saturday.

Robinson had earlier lost full-back Hugo Southwell and hooker Fergus Thomson to injuries.

Back row duo David Denton and Robert Harley were among the men left out by Robinson as he whittled down his options.

Harley did not play in either of Scotland's World Cup warm-up wins, while prop Ryan Grant and centre Ben Cairns, who were both absent for the Ireland and Italy fixtures, also missed out, as does Bath full-back Jack Cuthbert.

Edinburgh half-back Greig Laidlaw failed to make the cut after experienced scrum-halves Chris Cusiter and Mike Blair proved their fitness. Rory Lawson, who skippered the side against Ireland, is the third number nine in the pool.

Kellock won his 34th cap in Saturday's victory again over Italy and is among 12 players featuring in their first ever World Cup.

His Glasgow Warriors team-mate, Richie Gray, 21, is the youngest member of a squad drawn from 13 clubs, with 15 home-based players.

"What I've seen from the squad is a tremendous team spirit, a great courage for the way they've worked together and I'm delighted to be head coach of this squad," Robinson.

"I know they're going to go and do Scotland proud. I have no doubt about that.

"I'd like to thank every single one of them for the work they've done so far. It's now about getting in the starting XV."

Paterson made his World Cup debut in 1999 and will hope to add to his record 105 caps and record 786 points in New Zealand.

"The squad was announced at a meeting yesterday and the nerves were jangling; way back in '99 it was a phone call you were waiting for," he said.

"That feeling never leaves you and the desire to do well never leaves you.

"It was a huge goal of mine to make this World Cup. I'm delighted to do that, but the hard work starts again tomorrow when we get back to training and fight for that starting place."

Scotland begin with matches against Romania and Georgia before taking on Argentina and England in the pool stage.

"There's no point looking too far ahead - you deal with what's in front of you," explained Paterson. "Romania and Georgia are two hugely physical sides, sides you really should hope to beat, but you have to beat them - they'll take a lot of wearing down.

"There's a lot to work to be done, a lot of fine-tuning, but that will hopefully be done in the next two to three weeks.

"The Scotland-England rivalry is second to none. It will be a big game.

"It will be a strange scenario being played on foreign soil, but there are three games before that that are hugely important for Scotland."

Scotland squad:

Backs: Joe Ansbro (London Irish), Mike Blair (Edinburgh), Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Max Evans (Castres), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Lamont (Toulon), Sean Lamont (Scarlets), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh).

Forwards: John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Richie Gray, Dougie Hall (both Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), Nathan Hines (Clermont Auvergne), Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (captain, Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Gloucester), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Euan Murray (Newcastle Falcons), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh), Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester), Richie Vernon (Sale Sharks).


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