Cameron Redpath and Gary Graham out of Scotland rugby squad for France game

Cameron Redpath was ruled out of the Scots’ home loss to Wales on Saturday, February 13, by a neck injury he picked up a week earlier during their Calcutta Cup victory against England in London and has now been released back to his club, Bath, to continue his recovery.

It’s not yet known whether the French-born 21-year-old, son of former Melrose player and Scotland captain Bryan Redpath, will feature again in the current Six Nations campaign after making his senior international debut at Twickenham on Saturday, February 6.

Gary Graham did feature in the weekend before last’s 25-24 defeat at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, but the 28-year-old, son of ex-Hawick and Gala head coach George Graham, is also ruled out of the Scots’ next match, away to France on Sunday, February 28, by injury and has been sent back to his club, Newcastle Falcons.

Among the new faces in former Gala and Border Reivers hero Gregor Townsend’s squad is Redpath’s Bath team-mate Josh Bayliss.

The 23-year-old qualifies for selection by Scotland by virtue of a grandmother born in Aberdeen.

Glasgow Warriors scrum-half Jamie Dobie is also a new recruit to Townsend’s squad, though he was invited along to training sessions at the start of the campaign.

Also returning are Jamie Bhatti, another Bath player, along with Worcester Warriors’ Cornell du Preez and Glasgow Warriors’ Rob Harley and Sam Johnson.

Fly-half Adam Hastings also features in the squad, having been training with the national team since the end of last month as he recovers from injury.

Townsend said: “We welcome Josh into our squad as we look to build on our opening two games of the championship.

"We have been following his performances with Bath and a combination of his form and a couple of injuries in our squad have given us the opportunity to involve him for the first time.

“We are also delighted to add Jamie Dobie to our group following his impressive outing for Glasgow on Friday night and the quality he showed while training with us prior to our game against England.”

Blade Thomson too has been released from the squad due to injury and Zander Fagerson is ruled out by his sending-off during the Wales game though he is appealing against the four-match ban sparked by that red card.

Former Hawick players Stuart Hogg, Darcy Graham and Rory Sutherland all retain their places in the Scottish squad ahead of Sunday’s starting line-up being announced later this week.

Captain Hogg, 28, is now on 82 caps, with Sutherland, also 28, on 13 and Graham, 23, on 16.