Gregor Townsend says ‘experience and set-piece accuracy’ led to Dave Cherry pick
Gregor Townsend says ‘experience and set-piece accuracy’ led to Dave Cherry pick
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Gregor Townsend explained that Dave Cherry’s form this season and his set-piece accuracy were the key reasons behind the hooker’s surprise return to the Scotland side for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations opener at home to Italy. The 34-year-old Edinburgh forward’s Test career appeared to be over after he was not selected for a single squad last year following his premature departure from the 2023 World Cup camp due to a concussion sustained when he fell on stairs on a team day off after the pool-stage opener against South Africa.
When Townsend recalled Cherry to his squad for the Six Nations earlier this month, he insisted his absence had not been down to any disciplinary issue relating to the incident at the team hotel in Nice. Nonetheless, the hooker’s inclusion in the starting line-up for Saturday’s visit of Italy has raised eyebrows, with clubmate Ewan Ashman widely expected to start after emerging as Townsend’s favoured option for the number two jersey since George Turner moved to Japan last summer.
“Dave had started this season really well but then got injured so he wasn’t really in our thoughts for November,” said Townsend. “And we’ve got three young hookers, development hookers that played well on the summer tour that also came into November and at times played really well.
