 Parks has been in fine form for Glasgow Warriors this season
Dan Parks has won a recall to the Scotland squad, while there are places for uncapped Glasgow Warriors team-mates Richie Gray and Ruaridh Jackson. They are included in Andy Robinson's 30-man squad for the RBS 6 Nations games against France and Wales. Parks was left out of Robinson's first Scotland line-ups, for the autumn Test series, but has been in fine form. Fellow fly-half Jackson and second-row forward Gray have also helped Glasgow lead the Magners League. The 20-year-old Gray made his Scotland A debut in the triumph over Tonga two months ago. Meanwhile, Jackson, a year older and who has recently returned to action following a shoulder injury, helped the A side to victory against their French counterparts in the IRB Nations Cup in Romania last summer.  | Tactically, Dan Parks is very smart and he understands how to accumulate points Scotland coach Andy Robinson |
Robinson's squad also includes Gloucester prop Alasdair Dickinson and Edinburgh lock Jim Hamilton, who missed the autumn Tests through injury. But it is the inclusion of Parks, whose move to Cardiff Blues this coming summer seemed to be in response to him being left out by Robinson, that will be the biggest talking point. "He's playing well for Glasgow and he's got a spring in his step," the head coach told BBC Scotland. "Tactically, he's very smart and he understands how to accumulate points. "He communicates well and he's able to get the team to function." Gray has emerged as a key player for Glasgow this season as the Warriors top the Magners League and Robinson has been impressed. "Richie Gray is a big man, very athletic and he's got a great head on those shoulders, he's intelligent," enthused the former England coach. "He gets himself into great positions and he's going to be a huge asset to Scotland over the years." Robinson's squad will gather for a four-day training camp at St Andrews on Monday ahead of games against France on Sunday 7 February at Murrayfield and Wales at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Saturday 13 February. | MY SPORT: DEBATE |
The opening two matches come too soon for Mike Blair, who is still recovering from injury but who has been invited to the training camp with three other players. Edinburgh team-mates Ross Rennie and the uncapped grandson of the late Bill McLaren, Jim Thompson, plus uncapped Glasgow prop Jon Welsh, will also be at St Andrews. Meanwhile, Toulon full-back Rory Lamont may join the squad for the game against France should he come through a club game next Wednesday. Glasgow's Richie Vernon, Edinburgh's Allister Hogg and Clermont Auvergne's Jason White were unavailable for selection through injury. Ben Cairns, Nikki Walker, Geoff Cross and Scott MacLeod all missed out on selection. With Blair absent, fellow scrum-half Chris Cusiter will continue to skipper the side as Scotland to get off to a winning start in the Six Nations for the first time since 2006. Northampton prop Euan Murray will miss the opener against the French after requesting not to be chosen for matches played on Sundays.
Scotland squad Forwards: John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie, Kelly Brown (all Glasgow Warriors), Alasdair Dickinson (Gloucester), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Richie Gray, Dougie Hall (both Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Edinburgh), Nathan Hines (Leinster), Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Gloucester), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Alan MacDonald (Edinburgh), Euan Murray (Northampton Saints), Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester) Backs: Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Max Evans, Thom Evans (Glasgow Warriors), Phil Godman (Edinburgh), Alex Grove (Worcester), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Scarlets), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh), Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors) and Hugo Southwell (Stade Francais).
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