Scotland coach Gregor Townsend will reveal to players his World Cup squad on Monday

Head coach Gregor Townsend was delighted with Scotland’s performance in winning in Georgia but insisted he has still to make his final decisions on the squad he will be taking to the Rugby World Cup.
Blair Kinghorn goes past his man. Picture: Levan Verdzeuli/Getty ImagesBlair Kinghorn goes past his man. Picture: Levan Verdzeuli/Getty Images
Blair Kinghorn goes past his man. Picture: Levan Verdzeuli/Getty Images

He will be unveiling the 31-man party on Tuesday but was adamant that the decisions will not be made until today after the team have arrived back in Scotland and he has had a chance to sit down with his fellow coaches. “We don’t know the final squad yet, we are going to reflect on the game first,” he said. “When you’re watching it live, it’s about how to get messages on to improve the performance, not what an individual has done.

“We’ll look at that on the plane on the way home then I’ll discuss with the other coaches and see where people are physically after the game. I believe we haven’t picked up any serious injuries, which is a real positive. We’ll let the players know on Monday.” He has been given more food for thought with some individuals, most notably Rory Hutchinson, the centre who claimed two of the five tries, putting in performances that could see them promoted to the World Cup squad.

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“It was good for Rory to get two tries on his first start for Scotland. It’s been a great season for him to get into the Northampton squad, get into our squad and now play three times for Scotland and have a couple of tries,” added Townsend.

The big plus for the coach was that Scotland proved they could perform and win on the road, quietening the boisterous Georgian crowd.

“I was very pleased with how we started the game,” he said. “We’ve talked all week about how tough this fixture would be. Not only the Georgian team but the atmosphere and the occasion was going to be very tough for us. I was delighted that we were accurate, we played with intensity and we matched Georgia where they were going to take us on around the scrum, maul and pick-and-go close to the ruck.”