Ex-Hawick prop Rory Sutherland called into Scotland squad for rugby’s 2024 Six Nations

Rory Sutherland taking part in a Scotland training session at Edinburgh's Oriam on Monday (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group/SRU)

Sutherland, capped 29 times since 2016, was left out of head coach Gregor Townsend’s original squad for the championship because of his lack of game-time at current club Oyonnax but is now in with a chance of a first international appearance for five months.

The Hawick 31-year-old, reportedly on the move to Glasgow Warriors in the summer, is one of four new faces drafted in by ex-Gala and Border Reivers star Townsend ahead of the Scots’ second last game of the tournament away to Italy in Rome this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 2.15pm.

The others are Edinburgh tighthead prop Javan Sebastian, his team-mate Marshall Sykes and Warriors scrum-half Jamie Dobie.

Rory Sutherland playing for Scotland versus Tonga in France in September during 2023's Rugby World Cup (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Their arrivals follow three players dropping out of the squad – Edinburgh tighthead prop Willem Nel, Scarlets lock Alex Craig and injured Warriors centre Sione Tuipulotu.

Sutherland has made two appearances as a replacement for his French Top 14 side since Townsend’s original 39-strong squad was announced in mid-January, including a half-hour stint during their 39-35 home loss to Montpellier Herault on Saturday.

In Hawick winger Darcy Graham’s ongoing injury-enforced absence, he’s one of two Borderers in the Scottish squad, the other being Jedburgh’s Glen Young, but the Edinburgh lock hasn’t been selected for any of their three match-day squads so far.

That paucity of representatives of the region in the national team following former captain Stuart Hogg’s retiral last July and Young, 29, being kept waiting for his fourth cap, and first since 2022, led to no Borderers being selected for a Scotland game for the first time in 99 years ahead of their 27-26 opening win away to Wales on Saturday, February 3.

That was the case again for their 20-16 loss to France at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium on Saturday, February 10, the first time that had happened for two games on the trot since 1921, and for their 30-21 Calcutta Cup victory at home to England on Saturday, February 24, also for the first time in 103 years.

Sutherland’s most recent appearance for his country was in their 36-14 Rugby World Cup loss to Ireland in France in October, that also being fellow ex-Green Graham’s last game for Scotland to date.

Discussing his omission from Townsend’s original squad, Sutherland – formerly at Biggar, Edinburgh and Worcester Warriors – last month told le French Rugby Podcast: “He just said ‘you haven’t played enough and when you have played, we haven’t seen you at your best’, which is fair enough. I understand. There’s no point throwing the toys out of the pram.

“It’s frustrating but I got over it. I just have to get my head down and try and get as many minutes as I can in the tank and hope that the coaches think that that’s enough to get back in.

“It’s very hard when you take that phone call and they say you’re being left out.

“I’m not very good at watching. The bit I hate the most is the anthem because I really enjoy that part of playing for Scotland, singing the anthem with the lads.

“It’s a very emotional part of the game, so I find it difficult watching the boys singing that when I’m not there. I often leave the room. I go off with my beer in the huff in the kitchen while the boys sing the anthem.

“I would love to start playing again, and playing well, back in the Scotland squad.”

Townsend, 50, will name his match-day squad of 23 to face Italy on Thursday.