Uncapped props named in Scotland squad for 2016 RBS 6 Nations

Head Coach Vern Cotter today named uncapped props Zander Fagerson and Rory Sutherland in a 35-man Scotland squad for the 2016 RBS 6 Nations.Glasgow Warriors’ tighthead Fagerson turns 20 tomorrow (Wednesday 20 January) meaning he could become the fourth youngest prop in Scottish history, and the youngest to represent Scotland for more than half a century (since Bill Black debuted against France at Murrayfield 1948).Fellow propping prospect Sutherland (23) plies his trade at the opposite end of the M8 and earns selection through his increasingly impressive showings for Edinburgh Rugby since signing from Gala last season.The young pair are among four changes to Scotland’s front-row options originally named for Rugby World Cup 2015, with 29-times capped Exeter Chiefs tighthead, Moray Low, and six-times capped Glasgow Warriors hooker, Pat MacArthur, earning selection for the first time since the summer of 2014.Scotland Head Coach Vern Cotter, said:”We’ve selected a mixture of experience with some exciting young players coming through, some of whom have experienced the Rugby World Cup and are eager to move forward, take the RBS 6 Nations head on and show that we can develop our game and be competitive.”I think there should be confidence. The guys have worked hard and improved. There are positive signs that we can compete, and this Championship will give us another opportunity to measure ourselves against very good opposition in a tough competition.”The guys believe that we can compete, dominate and secure victories in these games.”Some 23 players capped during Rugby World Cup 2015 have earned reselection – six missing out, at this juncture, through injury (Fraser Brown, Grant Gilchrist, Henry Pyrgos, Jon Welsh, Richie Vernon) and retirement (Alasdair Strokosch) – while Cotter has rewarded the form of back-row forwards John Barclay (Scarlets), Adam Ashe and Chris Fusaro (both Glasgow Warriors), and versatile Wasps back Ruaridh Jackson, with selection.Other notable inclusions see centres Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) and Duncan Taylor (Saracens) recover from the injuries that ruled them out of last year’s international opportunities, despite winning Guinness PRO12 and English Premiership titles respectively.Scotland will once again be captained by Gloucester scrum-half Greig Laidlaw, who requires the same number of appearances (four) to mark a half-century caps and to equal David Sole’s record as most-times as Scotland captain (25).Lock Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) and scrum-half Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) have been invited to train with the squad when it convenes for a pre-Championship camp in St Andrews this Sunday, before returning to their clubs to continue their recovery from groin and wrist injuries respectively.Scotland’s RBS 6 Nations campaign gets underway with the sold-out fixture against England at BT Murrayfield on Saturday 6 February (kick-off 4.50pm) – live on BBC.SCOTLAND SQUAD FOR THE 2016 RBS 6 NATIONS – FORWARDS -HookerRoss Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) – 94 capsPat MacArthur (Glasgow Warriors) – 6 capsStuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) – 2 capsFront-rowAlasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 52 capsZander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – uncappedMoray Low (Exeter Chiefs) – 29 capsWillem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) – 8 capsGordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors) – 15 capsRory Sutherland (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncappedLockJonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 19 capsRichie Gray (Castres) – 51 capsTim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 capsBen Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby) – 1 capBack-rowAdam Ashe (Glasgow Warriors) – 6 capsJohn Barclay (Scarlets) – 45 capsBlair Cowan (London Irish) – 15 capsDavid Denton (Bath) – 32 capsChris Fusaro (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 capsJohn Hardie (Edinburgh Rugby) – 5 capsJosh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors) – 5 caps- BACKS -Scrum-halfSam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby) – 8 capsGreig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester) – 46 capsStand-offFinn Russell (Glasgow Warriors) – 15 capsDuncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors) – 21 capsCentreMark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors) – 13 capsAlex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) – 14 capsPeter Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 15 capsMatt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby) – 33 capsDuncan Taylor (Saracens) – 12 capsWingSean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors) – 101 capsSean Maitland (London Irish) – 20 capsTommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 22 capsTim Visser (Harlequins) – 23 capsFull-backStuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) – 38 capsRuaridh Jackson (Wasps) – 27 caps  – TRAINING WITH THE SQUAD -Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) – 12 capsHenry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps