Murray and Kellock left out of Cotter’s squad

THE international careers of long-serving Scotland players Al Kellock, Euan Murray and Nick De Luca could be over, after the trio were left out of Vern Cotter’s first selection as national coach as the new coach picked 43 men for the summer tour of the United States, Canada, Argentina and South Africa.

Left out: Al Kellock. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Glasgow hooker Kevin Bryce, 25 – who has only made two substitute appearances in professional rugby since joining from Heriot’s – was among six uncapped players named across two separate squads for the North American and Southern Hemisphere legs of the June schedule. Bryce’s fellow Glasgow forwards Gordon Reid and Alex Allan were named, along with young fly-half Finn Russell, 21, while London Irish flanker Blair Cowan and Edinburgh scrum-half Grayson Hart complete the group aiming to make their debuts. The nine players who will play a full part in the tour are Reid, Pat MacArthur, Bryce, Moray Low, Geoff Cross, Grant Gilchrist and backs Alex Dunbar, Sean Maitland and Stuart Hogg.

Bryce said of his call-up: “I was over the moon and gobsmacked at the same time. I’ve hardly played any professional rugby so to get the call-up was a shock. My last game was for Caley Reds against Newcastle Falcons about two weeks ago. If you had told me after that that I would be in the Scotland squad I would have said you are having a laugh.”

Edinburgh pair Jack Cuthbert and Matt Scott and new Bristol signing Ross Rennie would have been included but for injury, along with Glasgow’s Ryan Wilson, who faces several months out with a shoulder injury.

The SRU also announced that a number of players would not tour because of surgery or possible involvement in the Commonwealth Games sevens tournament. Scotland face the US in Houston on 7 June, Canada in Toronto a week later, Argentina in Cordoba on 20 June and South Africa in Port Elizabeth on 28 June.