Hawick’s Rory Sutherland tells of pride at representing Scotland at rugby alongside fellow Teries Stuart Hogg and Darcy Graham

Stuart Hogg leading out his team with Rory Sutherland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh in February last year (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Hawick’s Rory Sutherland has told of his pride at being picked to play for Scotland’s national rugby team alongside fellow Teries Stuart Hogg and Darcy Graham.

Loosehead prop Sutherland and winger Graham, along with captain Hogg, are among the 34-man squad named today, March 9, by head coach Gregor Townsend to face Ireland in the Six Nations this weekend.

Explaining his pride at lining up for his country alongside two fellow ex-Hawick players, Sutherland told Scottish Rugby’s website: “To step on the field together is an amazing feeling, it really is.

“I can feel it in the changing rooms, you know, when Darcy and Hoggy are going around, and when we go out for the anthem, we always make sure we’re stood next to each other and that means a hell of a lot to us, and it gets me geed up for a game thinking about that.

Scotland wing Darcy Graham being tackled during the Six Nations international rugby union match between Scotland and Wales at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on February 13 (Photo by Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

“It’s really extra special to have three Hawick boys in the team at the same time taking to the field together.”

Sutherland, 28, is now on 13 caps, and his Edinburgh team-mate Graham, 23, is on 16. Hogg, 28, with Exeter Chiefs since 2019, has 82 international appearances to his name.

The Scottish squad also features three new faces not named to face France on Sunday, February 28, prior to that game being called off due to a coronavirus outbreak in their hosts’ camp – Edinburgh back-row forward Nick Haining, Exeter Chiefs second row Sam Skinner and Glasgow’s US-born back Rufus McLean.

Scotland are without Richie Gray for their game at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium at 3pm this coming Sunday, March 14, after he suffered a head knock in Glasgow’s defeat to Leinster in Dublin on February 28.

Stuart Hogg and Rory Sutherland taking to the pitch at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh in February last year (Photo by Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

Zander Fagerson is also unavailable due to being sent off during the Scots’ home defeat by Wales on Saturday, February 13, and given a four-game suspension, as is his Glasgow team-mate Adam Hastings after being slapped with a three-game ban for getting a red card during his club side’s Pro14 defeat at Leinster.

Townsend’s side are currently fifth in the Six Nations table with five points after two games and Ireland are in third spot with seven points, having played one game more.

Also in the squad are backs Jamie Dobie, Chris Harris, Sam Johnson, Huw Jones, James Lang, Sean Maitland, Duhan van der Merwe, Ali Price, Finn Russell, Scott Steele, Duncan Taylor and Jaco van der Walt, along with forwards Ewan Ashman, Simon Berghan, Jamie Bhatti, Dave Cherry, Alex Craig, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray, Rob Harley, Oli Kebble, WP Nel, Cornell du Preez, Jamie Ritchie, George Turner, Hamish Watson.