Three Ex Hawks have been included in Frank Hadden's first Scotland squad of the season.

The 34-strong squad will be training at Murrayfield on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 October as preparations begin in earnest for the Bank of Scotland Corporate Autumn Tests against Romania, Pacific Islanders and Australia in November.

The squad includes seven uncapped players – Glasgow Warriors duo John Beattie and Thom Evans, Edinburgh Gunners' trio Rob Dewey, Alasdair Dickinson and apprentice Ross Rennie, Border Reivers' full-back Calum MacRae and Northampton Saints full-back Robbie Kydd – and six players promoted from the successful Scotland A Churchill Cup squad, Dickinson and MacRae plus Phil Godman and Allan Jacobsen (both Edinburgh Gunners) and Graeme Morrison and Euan Murray (both Glasgow Warriors).

Hadden said: "It was the toughest ever squad to pick at this stage of the season compared to similar squads of this size I've picked in the past, simply because we have more good players outside this squad than before.

"Though the pro-teams are not performing as well as I would have liked overall, there are many more Scots players now playing at a level that intensifies competition. I can honestly say that most of the players are in good fettle despite of some of the results with their teams."

Hadden has omitted two players who toured with Scotland to South Africa during the summer, half-backs Gordon Ross and Sam Pinder, and acknowledged that was down to the quality at his disposal, while stressing that both players and Scotland A captain Rory Lawson, remained in his thoughts.

The coach is pleased about the competition for places, especially in the front-row, back-row and back three berths.

Scotland squad for training at Murrayfield on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 October.
HAWKS RELATED@
Backs – Mike Blair (Edinburgh Gunners)*, Chris Cusiter (Border Reivers)*, Rob Dewey (Edinburgh Gunners), Marcus Di Rollo (Edinburgh Gunners), Thom Evans (Glasgow Warriors), Phil Godman (Edinburgh Gunners), Andrew Henderson @(Glasgow Warriors), Robbie Kydd (Northampton Saints), Sean Lamont (Northampton Saints), Calum MacRae (Border Reivers)*, Graeme Morrison@ (Glasgow Warriors), Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh Gunners), Hugo Southwell (Edinburgh Gunners), Simon Webster (Edinburgh Gunners)

Forwards – John Beattie (Glasgow Warriors)*, Kelly Brown (Border Reivers)*, Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Gunners)*, Bruce Douglas (Border Reivers), Ross Ford (Border Reivers)*, Dougie Hall (Edinburgh Gunners), Nathan Hines (Perpignan), Allister Hogg (Edinburgh Gunners)*, Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh Gunners), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors)*, Gavin Kerr (Border Reivers), Scott Lawson (Glasgow Warriors)*, Scott MacLeod (Llanelli Scarlets), Donnie Macfadyen (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Murray (Edinburgh Gunners), Euan Murray@ (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh Gunners), Craig Smith (Edinburgh Gunners), Jason White (Sale Sharks)

Players unavailable for selection due to injury: Simon Danielli (Border Reivers), Rory Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Ben MacDougall (Border Reivers), Jon Petrie (Glasgow Warriors) and Simon Taylor (Edinburgh Gunners).

* = Member of Scottish Institute of Sport

This article was posted on 27-Sep-2006, 13:12 by Hugh Barrow.