Before the final two matches in South America, five players have left the Scotland tour party.
After the North American leg, head coach Gregor Townsend always intended to cut his team. Robbie Smith, Elliot Millar Mills, Ross Thompson, and Ross McCann, along with the unfortunate Glen Young, who had a pectoral injury in the gym, have all been announced as returning home.
The Northampton Saints hooker Smith was brought in as a substitute in the opening game of the tour against Canada. He also made an appearance off the bench in Friday night’s victory over the USA. Thompson, who will play for Edinburgh the following season, and Smith’s teammate Millar Mills both started in the 73-12 victory over Canada before coming on as replacements against the States. The sevens specialist McCann, who signed with Edinburgh, also made his debut for the Scotland XVs against Canada, although from the bench in a match that Young started.
The Northampton Saints hooker Smith was brought in as a substitute in the opening game of the tour against Canada. He also made an appearance off the bench in Friday night’s victory over the USA. Thompson, who will play for Edinburgh the following season, and Smith’s teammate Millar Mills both started in the 73-12 victory over Canada before coming on as replacements against the States. The sevens specialist McCann, who signed with Edinburgh, also made his debut for the Scotland XVs against Canada, although from the bench in a match that Young started.
Scotland, who beat the US 42-7 in Washington DC, play Chile this Saturday in Santiago before completing the tour against Uruguay in Montevideo on July 27. Townsend will select only Scottish-based players for the Uruguay game because the match falls outside the recognised Test window and the coach is expected to further trim his squad ahead of the match, with the English and French-based players set to return home.
As revealed when the squad was announced last month, three development players are joining the group “as a learning opportunity” for the South American leg of the tour. Tighthead prop Fin Richardson, who has signed for Glasgow Warriors for next season from Exeter Chiefs, Glasgow scrum-half Ben Afshar and Edinburgh lock Rob Carmichael will take part in full training with the squad.
Richardson, 25, was dual registered with Exeter and Cornish Pirates for the 2023-24 season, playing for the latter in the Championship. He’s a former Scotland U20 internationalist who played previously for Currie and Edinburgh Academical before heading south to study law at the University of Exeter.
Afshar, 21, co-captained Scotland U20 at the 2023 World Rugby U20 Trophy in Kenya. He made his Glasgow debut against Ulster in November, coming off the bench in the 33-20 home win. His first start was in the win over Dragons at Scotstoun in February, a match in which he scored his first try. He played eight times in total for the Warriors during the season, with six appearances coming in their triumphant URC campaign and two in the Champions Cup.
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