Scotland coach Vern Cotter has wielded a sharp axe with the selection of his first Six Nations squad, leaving a host of former regulars out of the 32-man training squad which will come together next week.
The big-name omissions are Sale scrum-half Chris Cusiter, Glasgow lock Tim Swinson, Castres No.8 Johnnie Beattie and hookers Pat MacArthur and Scott Lawson of Glasgow and Newcastle Falcons respectively, all of whom played for their country under Ctter last year.
By way of dramatic contrast, however, Cotter has also given a place to flanker Hugh Blake, a 22-year-old Scots-qualified New Zealander, who joined Edinburgh from Otago Highlanders recently but has yet to play a game for his new club.
Blake is one of four uncapped players in the squad, the others being lock Ben Toolis, dlanker Hamish Watson and scrum-half Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, all of Edinburgh.
Cotter said: "Al these players have worked hard and have shown great ambition to seize this opportunity. That's the type of player we want in this environment.
"They have impressed me with their desire to go forward, and reflect the Scottish spirit of attacking and leading, to develop into impressive performers."
Squad:
FORWARDS: Hugh Blake (Edinburgh Rugby), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Cowan, Geoff Cross (both London Irish), David Denton, Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Castres), Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby), Jim Hamilton (Saracens), Rob Harley, Euan Murray, Gordon Reid (all Glasgow Warriors), Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan), Ben Toolis, Hamish Watson (both Edinburgh Rugby), Jon Welsh (Glasgow Warriors).
BACKS: Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby), Alex Dunbar, (Glasgow Warriors) Dougie Fife (Edinburgh Rugby), Stuart Hogg, Peter Horne (both Glasgow Warriors) Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester), Sean Lamont, Sean Maitland, Henry Pyrgos, Finn Russell (all Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Tonks, Tim Visser (both Edinburgh Rugby).
Unavailable through injury: Adam Ashe (neck), Chris Fusaro (ankle), Grant Gilchrist (arm), Tyrone Holmes (face), Ruaridh Jackson (knee), Duncan Taylor (hamstring), Duncan Weir (arm).
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