Scots gear up for France clash

Dale Laughton will captain the Scotland side

Scotland have named 13 survivors from their 2000 World Cup squad for their international against France in Lezignan on 3 July.

New coach Billy McGinty has included three new caps in a 26-strong squad that will eventually be trimmed down to an 18-man travelling party.

The newcomers are Hull forward Richard Fletcher, who was a non-playing member of the World Cup squad, Dewsbury prop Ryan McDonald and Castleford utility forward Ian Tonks.

Scotland have lost five of their Australian-qualified players from the World Cup in Geoff Bell, Daniel Heckenberg, Matt Daylight, Andrew Purcell and captain Danny Russell.

We are pleased with the squad, I just hope that injuries don't ravage us

  Billy McGinty
Scotland coach

But they include four Antipodeans in Scott Cram (London), Graham Mackay (Bradford), David Maiden (Hull) and Adrian Vowles (Castleford).

There is no place for Hull's exciting centre or stand-off Richard Horne, who has just returned from a month's lay-off with an ankle injury, or new team-mate Scott Logan, the former Sydney Roosters forward who played in all three games in the World Cup.

"We would love to have chosen Richard because he is very talented but he has hardly played this year and is still having problems with his ankle," said Glasgow-born McGinty, the Wigan assistant coach.

"Playing three games in seven days might aggravate it and we've got to consider the best interests of the player.

"We've also spoken to Scott Logan, who has only just arrived in the country and needs to settle in at Hull first.

"We are pleased with the squad, I just hope that injuries don't ravage us."

The squad, which will be captained by Huddersfield front row forward Dale Laughton, had its first training session at Warrington on Monday and will meet up again next Monday before flying to Toulouse seven days later.

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Squad: P Anderson (Leigh), D Arnold (Salford), J Berry (Rochdale), A Craig (Widnes), S Cram (London), M Crowther (Hull), M Dixon (Hull KR), J Duffy (Leigh), R Fletcher (Hull), J Flowers (Castleford), L Gilmour (Bradford), N Graham (Dewsbury), I Higgins (Hunslet), S Knox (Widnes), D Laughton (Huddersfield, capt), N Lowe (Featherstone), W McDonald (St Helens), R McDonald (Dewsbury), G Mackay (Bradford), D Maiden (Hull), L Penny (Warrington), Rhodes (Sheffield), D Shaw (Castleford), I Tonks (Castleford), A Vowles (Castleford), M Wainwright (Salford).