HERE WE CO
Toonie appoints TWO captains but Ritchie loses armband
FINN RUSSELL and Rory Darge will be co-captains of Scotland in this year’s Six Nations after Gregor Townsend decided to relieve Jamie Ritchie of the honour.
And head coach Townsend now has five uncapped members of his squad after calling up GB Sevens player Ross McCann to replace injured winger Darcy Graham, who will miss the first two games of the championship.
Townsend declared last week that Edinburgh flanker Ritchie would have to prove his form and fitness in his side’s game against Scarlets to stay on as captain.
But Ritchie – who missed the club’s previous match through injury – only got half an hour off the bench and did nothing to write home about.
Scotland have more strength in the back row – including Glasgow No 7 Darge – than just about anywhere else.
So with Ritchie not sure of his place, Townsend has turned to two men who will be first choices if they are fit for selection. With the opening game against Wales now just 12 days away, Darge still faces a race against time to recover from the knee injury he got against Edinburgh at the end of last month.
But the Warriors coaches seem confident he will be cleared to play in Cardiff.
Townsend said: “Appointing co-captains for this year’s Guinness Six Nations allows us to further grow and develop the leadership in the Scotland squad.
“Rory and Finn captained Scotland last summer and bring different strengths and styles of leadership to the table.
“Both are highly respected within our squad and have been part of our leadership group for some time. I’m sure they will thrive with this responsibility and lean on our other leaders to drive aspects of our preparation, mindset and performance. “Jamie has done an excellent job as our captain since October 2022 and he will continue to be one of the key leaders in our group. He now has the opportunity to focus more on his game and deliver his best rugby over the next few weeks.” Russell has made 321 points from his 75 appearances for Scotland. He said: “Playing for Scotland is a huge honour and to co-captain the side is a privilege and something I am proud of. “We have such a talented squad and to lead them alongside Rory represents a massive opportunity. I can’t wait to start this year’s championship.
“Rory has been a key player since he made his debut and leads by example.
“We have different leadership styles which will complement each other and ultimately benefit the team as we get ready to go into the tournament.”
Darge said: “I enjoyed captaining the team last summer and felt proud when Gregor told me the news.
“To co-captain your country is a tremendous honour and to do it alongside Finn, who is respected across the game, will be great for me.”
Meanwhile Glasgow have been drawn away to London-based side Harlequins in the last 16 of the Champions Cup.
Edinburgh will host Bayonne in the Challenge Cup after the French side dropped down from the Champions Cup.
The ties in both tournaments will be played on the weekend of 5-7 April, with dates confirmed after talks with broadcasters.