The stamp of Vern Cotter's authority appeared to have left a firm imprint on the backsides of a number of leading players last night after the Scotland coach named a squad for the November Test programme and left out several stalwarts of the national side in recent years.
The most prominent to miss the cut was Kelly Brown, the 64-times-capped Saracens flanker who led the side into this year's RBS 6 Nations Championship. Other notable absentees included Al Kellock, Jim Hamilton and Max Evans, although the fact that all are now over 30 may go some way towards explaining their omissions.
Less easy to understand, though, is the fact that John Barclay has been left out as well. The specialist openside has been outstanding for Scarlets recently, and many thought that his try-scoring performance for his club against Toulon on Sunday had just about ensured his return to the squad.
Cotter made it clear that those who had been left out could yet come back in, saying that they were all just "one step away from being called back through injury."
The New Zealander urged them all to keep themselves in shape for a recall, but his first independent Test squad selection - he had little input on that front ahead of the Scotland summer tour - has laid down a marker for the kind of game he wants his team to play.
To a large extent it seems likely to be based on the up-tempo style that has been so effective for Glasgow over the past 18 months.
Seventeen of the 33-strong squad have been drawn from the Scotstoun side, and that number would have gone higher still had Cotter seen fit to pick Kellock, Peter Horne and Pat MacArthur.
Only five Edinburgh players have been chosen, and there may be an element of attempting to address the inter-city imbalance in Cotter's decision to hand the captaincy role to Grant Gilchrist, the capital outfit's 24-year-old, eight-times-capped lock forward.
In fairness, Cotter the head coach appointed Gilchrist as leader for the final two games of the summer tour - a victory over Argentina and a defeat by South Africa. Effectively, the former Alloa and Stirling County player is simply retaining the role.
Scotland will play Argentina on November 8, New Zealand on November 15 and Tonga - at Kilmarnock's Rugby Park - on November 22.
The New Zealand squad for their northern hemisphere tour was also announced yesterday, with coach Steve Hansen recalling Dan Carter and Sonny Bill Williams into the travelling party.
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