Townsend on Leatherbarrow call-up, Bradbury omission & World Cup hopes
- Published
Head coach Gregor Townsend has been speaking to the media after announcing his Scotland squad for November's three home Nations Championship fixtures against New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
Here are the key lines:
Townsend feels his side are in a "decent place" ahead of their trio of Nations Championship matches. He knows the challenge that awaits them when they face New Zealand in the opening game but wants Scotland to be tested against the best teams more regularly.
"We're going to get huge learning playing New Zealand in a couple of weeks' time, so we want to be playing those teams more regularly," he says. "That's a motivation. I don't think anything gets bigger than playing New Zealand outside of the Six Nations. That's on our mind, and we know what a challenge that's going to be."
The Scotland head coach believes uncapped Ollie Leatherbarrow's form towards the end of last season and at the start of this campaign has earned him his first Scotland call-up.
On Leatherbarrow, Townsend says: "Hopefully we'll get opportunities in the next few weeks, because he's playing really well, Ollie. I think with Ollie, we know he can cover all three positions in the back row. He's a very good ball carrier. He's an openside by trade, but he's played a lot of rugby at six and eight. We feel his form at the end of last season, and especially at the beginning of this season, gives us an opportunity to look at someone else."
Townsend says he is "looking for more" from Magnus Bradbury following his omission from the Scotland squad. He acknowledges Bradbury's strong start to the season with Edinburgh and says the back-row forward will be challenging for a place in the Six Nations squad.
Glasgow full-back Josh McKay could join the Scotland squad for the Japan game. According to Townsend, a decision on McKay's involvement will be made next weekend.
Looking ahead to next year's World Cup, Townsend is targeting a place in the knockout stages, adding: "That's our goal, to be playing knockout rugby in 12 months' time, and between now and then, play our best rugby. That will put us in a really good position to have a good World Cup but also put us in a position to do something special before then."
