Four new faces in Scotland squad

Kydd can play centre, full-back or fly-half

Scotland have selected four uncapped players in their training squad for the Six Nations.

Edinburgh prop Alasdair Dickinson, Glasgow flanker John Barclay, Borders full-back Calum MacRae and Northampton back Robbie Kydd all make the squad.

The 33-man party also includes three wingers that missed the autumn internationals, Simon Danielli, Rory Lamont and Nikki Walker.

Lock Scott MacLeod and flanker Donnie Macfadyen also return.

"I'm very pleased with the competition for places on the wing and in our back three in general," said coach Frank Hadden.

"We've some top-class options available to us there when you consider Sean Lamont, Simon Webster, Hugo Southwell and Chris Paterson were all in that selection mix during the autumn Tests.

"Now Rory and Simon are coming back from injury and along with Nikki all are going extremely well and have justified their call-up."

Scotland have eight players currently out injured: Mike Blair (shoulder), Chris Cusiter (shoulder), Nathan Hines (foot), Allister Hogg (knee), Scott Lawson (foot), Ben MacDougall (cheekbone), Simon Webster (lower leg) and Jason White (knee).

All have been invited to the training sessions at Murrayfield on 15/16 January and Hadden is hoping that of those, Lawson, Cusiter, Hogg and Webster may be able to take some part.

With the two first-choice scrum-halves out, Cusiter and Blair, Gloucester's Rory Lawson is favourite to take the number nine shirt for the opening Six Nations game against England on 3 February.

Skipper White is a doubt for the World Cup in September after suffering cruciate knee ligament damage in the autumn Test against Romania.

"Though the injury list is extensive, Jason White is currently our only player who we would describe as long-term injured," said Hadden.

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Scotland squad for training at Murrayfield on 15/16 January:

Backs: Simon Danielli (Borders), Rob Dewey, Marcus Di Rollo, Phil Godman (all Edinburgh), Andrew Henderson (Glasgow), Robbie Kydd (Northampton), Rory Lamont (Glasgow), Sean Lamont (Northampton), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Calum MacRae (Borders), Dan Parks (Glasgow), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh), Sam Pinder (Glasgow), Hugo Southwell (Edinburgh), Nikki Walker (Ospreys).

Forwards: John Barclay (Glasgow), Johnnie Beattie (Glasgow), Kelly Brown (Borders), David Callam (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh), Bruce Douglas (Borders), Ross Ford (Borders), Dougie Hall (Edinburgh), James Hamilton (Leicester), Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow), Gavin Kerr (Borders), Scott MacLeod (Scarlets), Donnie Macfadyen (Glasgow), Scott Murray (Edinburgh), Euan Murray (Glasgow), Alasdair Strokosch (Edinburgh), Simon Taylor (Edinburgh).