Two more Borderers called up to Scotland rugby squad

Head coach Gregor Townsend’s new recruits from the region are Charlie Shiel and George Taylor, both born in Melrose and both now playing for Edinburgh.

Shiel, 23, son of Galashiels-born ex-Scottish international Graham Shiel, plays at scrum-half and former Earlston High School pupil Taylor, 24, at outside centre.

Both have played for Scotland at under-20 level, Shiel ten times and Taylor seven, but neither has picked up a senior cap yet.

Shiel, formerly of fellow capital side Currie, has played for Edinburgh 26 times, scoring three tries, since making his debut in January 2019.

Taylor, previously with Melrose, made his Edinburgh debut in May 2018 and has played for them a further 27 times since then, scoring four tries altogether.

Accompanying that handful of Borderers are two other players with links to the region, both, like Shiel, following in their fathers’ footsteps.

French-born Cameron Redpath is Bryan Redpath’s son and former Gala player Gary Graham, 28, born in Stirling and brought up in Cumbria, is George Graham’s.

Galashiels-born Redpath, 49, was capped for Scotland 60 times between 1993 and 2003, and Graham, later head coach at Gala and Hawick, was capped 25 times between 1997 and 2002.

Former Gala star Townsend is due to name his matchday squad for this weekend’s game against Wales at lunchtime tomorrow, February 11.

That match, at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, kicks off at 4.45pm on Saturday, February 13, and will be broadcast live on BBC One and S4C.

Glasgow Warriors prop D’Arcy Rae has also joined the Scots’ squad and Ewan Ashman, Blair Kinghorn, Jamie Dobie and Rufus McLean have been released to rejoin their clubs.