Uncapped Newcastle Red Bulls back row Ollie Leatherbarrow has been selected for the Scotland squad for the first time ahead of three home Nations Championship fixtures against New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. However, in-form Edinburgh forwards Magnus Bradbury and Freddy Douglas were left out of the 37-man selection.
Squad Additions and Notable Omissions
Macclesfield-born Leatherbarrow qualifies for Scotland through his grandmother from Perth and previously represented the country at under-16 and under-20 levels. The 24-year-old started his career at Exeter Chiefs before joining Newcastle in 2023. Senior trio Jamie Ritchie, Darcy Graham, and Duhan van der Merwe all return to the squad after recent injury recoveries.
Reflecting on his selection, Leatherbarrow told BBC Sport that achieving a national call-up has been a long-term goal. “It’s just about showing what I can do. My strength is probably ball-carrying, so that lends itself to number eight a bit more, but I’m probably more the size of a seven,” he said, adding that he is happy to play in any of the three back-row positions.
Head coach Gregor Townsend acknowledged Bradbury’s strong start to the season but stated he was looking for more from the 31-year-old. Townsend explained that with Jack Dempsey unavailable for the Six Nations, it presents an opportunity to evaluate other options like Leatherbarrow.
Glasgow Warriors hooker Seb Stephen, who debuted in July against Fiji, is one of three hookers chosen. Meanwhile, experienced Edinburgh lock Grant Gilchrist misses out following an injury return, and club-mate Hector Patterson was also omitted despite a bright start to the season.
Upcoming Fixtures and Full Squad
Townsend noted that no decision has been finalized regarding New Zealand-born Glasgow full-back Josh McKay, who becomes eligible in time for the final Test against Japan. Scotland will welcome the All Blacks on November 7, the Wallabies on November 15, and the Brave Blossoms on November 21 at Murrayfield.
The new Nations Championship concludes the following weekend at Twickenham on November 28 and 29, with matches determined by the final placings of northern and southern hemisphere nations.
Scotland squad:
Forwards: Ewan Ashman, Josh Bayliss, Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings, Alex Craig, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey, Matt Fagerson, Zander Fagerson, Jonny Gray, Gregor Hiddleston, Will Hurd, Ollie Leatherbarrow, Nathan McBeth, Liam McConnell, Elliot Millar Mills, Jamie Ritchie, Pierre Schoeman, Rory Sutherland, Seb Stephen, Max Williamson.
Backs: Fergus Burke, Jamie Dobie, Darcy Graham, George Horne, Rory Hutchinson, Huw Jones, Tom Jordan, Blair Kinghorn, Stafford McDowall, Kyle Rowe, Finn Russell, Ollie Smith, Kyle Steyn, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Ben White.
