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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Anthony Brown

Irish and English-born players named in Scotland's Six Nations squad

Scotland have once again taken advantage of world rugby’s recent change in eligibility rules to include Irish and English-born players in their Six Nations squad.

In a similar move to the one that allowed Jack Dempsey to convert from Australia to Scotland earlier this season, Gregor Townsend has persuaded 31-year-old Bath wing Ruaridh McConnochie to pledge his allegiance to the nation of his father’s birth three and a half years after making two appearances – including one at the 2019 World Cup – for England.

There are three other uncapped players in Townsend’s 40-man squad, including Tipperary native Ben Healy.

READ MORE: Chess master Ross Byrne deserves his place in Ireland's Six Nations squad

Munster stand-off Healy, who will join Edinburgh in the summer, is Scottish qualified through his mother and will provide back-up for Finn Russell at number 10.

Glasgow centre Stafford McDowall and Leicester second-row Cameron Henderson are the other two included who are yet to feature for Scotland.

Darcy Graham, who scored a hat-trick of tries in Scotland’s last match against Argentina in November, has not been included as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. It remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to be called in during the tournament.

Ben Healy (Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo)

Hamish Watson and Zander Fagerson are included despite being sidelined by injury in recent months, but Scott Cummings, Rory Darge and Adam Hastings – who have also been battling fitness issues – have not made the squad.

Experienced pair Sean Maitland and Huw Jones have both earned recalls to the national team set-up.

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