Hamilton called into Scotland team

Jim Hamilton, the 27-year-old Edinburgh lock, has been called into the Scotland team today for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship match with Wales in Cardiff.Hamilton, who will be winning his 24th cap, replaces Nathan Hines who has not recovered sufficiently from injury he sustained in Sunday’s Murrayfield meeting with France.      Scotland team doctor James Robson said: “Nathan suffered a calf strain and aggravated an old ankle injury during the match at the weekend.”Whilst the injury has settled considerably it is not at a level adequate for exposure to the rigours of test match rugby and therefore Nathan is withdrawn from selection.”Scotland coach Andy Robinson wished Hines a speedy recovery. He added: “I welcome Jim back into the squad following his own recovery from injury.”We’re going with Jim as he’s like for like with Nathan and will help us to get a platform should we look to get our mauling game going.  Jim is also an experienced player.”Jim Hamilton (Edinburgh and Watsonians)Lock. Born 17.11.82 in Swindon. Height: 6ft 8in (2.03m). Weight: 19st 8lb (124kg).James Leigh Hamilton became Scotland’s 1000th capped player in November 2006 when he made a replacement debut in the 48-6 victory against Romania in the Bank of Scotland Corporate international at Murrayfield. Ten days later he made his first appearance for Scotland A in the Perth match against Australia A, and that was followed within a week with his second replacement cap after he had been belatedly recalled to the national squad for the Murrayfield match against Australia.His first start for Scotland was in the Twickenham match against England on the opening day of the 2007 RBS Six Nations Championship, and he went on to play in four of Scotland’s five matches in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.His 2008 Six Nations Championship was limited to three games because of injury, but he was back in the team for the November matches against New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada as well as the 2009 Six Nations Championship games against Wales and France. Injury in the Paris international forced him to miss the Murrayfield win against Italy though he was back for the subsequent matches against Ireland and England.Jim, who was educated at Coundon Court School, Coventry, started playing rugby at the age of 15 with Barker’s Butts, the club that launched the careers of the Leicester and England pair, Neil Back and Danny Grewcock. Jim joined Leicester Tigers’ Academy at the end of 1999, having been spotted by Andy Key and Dusty Hare while playing for Warwickshire against Leicestershire, and he was in the England squad in the under-19 World Cup in Chile in 2001.He played regularly for the Tigers’ youth team as well as being a member of Leicester’s under-21 championship-winning side in 2002-2003. His debut for Leicester’s Premiership team followed in September 2003, and he also played for Tigers’ championship-winning squad in the Zurich A League in 2005-2006.Jim moved north to join Edinburgh in summer 2008. He had a sojourn in New Zealand with the Marist Albion club in Christchurch in 2005, and he was in the Barbarians’ squad in the Murrayfield match against Scotland in May 2006.Though capped by England at under-19 level, Jim qualified for Scotland through his Glasgow-born father, who served for 24 years in the Queen’s Own Highlanders.After suffering a knee injury, Hamilton missed the opening 13 matches of the 2009/2010 season, but returned to competitive action against Glasgow at Murrayfield in January.Hamilton played for Scotland A against Ireland Wolfhounds in February – his second cap at A level – before being selected for the RBS 6 Nations match against Wales at the Millennium Stadium.