Parks recalled for Scotland

Fly-half Dan Parks has been recalled to the Scotland squad for the RBS 6 Nations matches against France and Wales.

Glasgow Warriors fly-half returns for Six Nations campaign

Fly-half Dan Parks has been recalled to the Scotland squad for the RBS 6 Nations matches against France and Wales. Australian-born Parks was controversially ignored for the three autumn internationals last year, but has been named in the 30-man line-up alongside uncapped Glasgow colleagues Ruaridh Jackson and Richie Gray. Jackson, also a fly-half, was absent from the autumn games with a shoulder injury, while flanker Gray has been awarded his spot in the squad on the back of his performances this season, including his first outing with Scotland A against Tonga two months ago.

Consistent

"Richie Gray has worked hard to win a place in the squad and has applied himself consistently when playing for Glasgow, and we were also pleased to see Ruaridh back in action there," said head coach Andy Robinson. "Dan's consistency of performance, I've been really pleased about. He's been driving the Glasgow team, the Glasgow team's been playing well, and he's been a key reason for that. "He'll be an asset to us in terms of the first two games. "Competition for places all the way through is what's important for us and it's what drives and improves performance. We've got to improve our standards. "Competition for places challenges that and puts players under pressure to get into the team. That's what we want right across the board." Co-captain Mike Blair has been omitted from the squad due to an ankle injury he sustained in the November Tests, but has been invited along with three other players, Jim Thompson - grandson of the late Bill McLaren - Ross Rennie and Jon Welsh, to train with the team at a four-day camp at St Andrews next week. Also featured in the squad are Euan Murray, Alasdair Dickinson and Jim Hamilton, who were all ruled out of the autumn internationals with injuries. It is possible Toulon full-back Rory Lamont will join the squad for the France game, provided a club match next Wednesday leaves him unscathed.

Form

Richie Vernon, Allister Hogg and Jason White were not included due to injury, but Ben Cairns, Nikki Walker, Geoff Cross and Scott McLeod all missed out on selection. "I'm pleased with the squad," Robinson added. "It's a mixture of players that played well in the autumn and a number of players coming in who have reached some form and are coming back from injuries." "When I look at the players I've left out of the squad, it shows the quality now that we have." Scotland host France at Murrayfield on February 7 before travelling to face Wales in Cardiff the following week. Scotland squad:
Backs: C Cusiter (Glasgow), S Danielli (Ulster), N De Luca (Edinburgh), M Evans (Glasgow), T Evans (Glasgow), P Godman (Edinburgh), A Grove (Worcester), R Jackson (Glasgow), S Lamont (Scarlets), R Lawson (Gloucester), G Morrison (Glasgow), D Parks (Glasgow), C Paterson(Edinburgh), H Southwell (Stade Francais)
Forwards: J Barclay (Glasgow), J Beattie (Glasgow), K Brown (Glasgow), A Dickinson (Gloucester), R Ford (Edinburgh), R Gray (Glasgow), D Hall (Glasgow), J Hamilton (Edinburgh), N Hines (Leinster), A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), A Kellock (Glasgow), S Lawson (Gloucester), M Low (Glasgow), A MacDonald (Edinburgh), E Murray (Northampton), A Strokosch (Gloucester) Invited to train with the squad at St Andrews (January 25-28):
M Blair (Edinburgh), R Rennie (Edinburgh), J Thompson (Edinburgh), J Welsh (Glasgow)