McInally misses out on Scotland World Cup squad

Former captain Stuart McInally has been omitted from Scotland’s squad for the Rugby World Cup, along with Murphy Walker, Josh Bayliss, and Jamie Dobie.

Edinburgh hooker McInally, who led Scotland at the 2019 World Cup in Japan, is now due to retire to become an airline pilot.

George Turner, Dave Cherry and Ewan Ashman are the remaining hookers.

McInally, 33, who missed the 2015 World Cup through injury, scored 11 tries in his 49 Scotland appearances.

Bath back-row Bayliss, 25, prop Walker, 23, and scrum-half Dobie, 22, both from Glasgow Warriors, have just 10 caps between them.

Scrum-half Ben White is included after missing Saturday’s 30-27 warm-up loss to tournament hosts France with an ankle injury.

At 37, Edinburgh prop WP Nel is the oldest member of the squad as he prepares for his third World Cup.

Grant Gilchrist, fellow lock Richie Gray and fly-half Finn Russell are also going to experience the event for a third time.

With just one international start, newly-arrived Edinburgh fly-half Ben Healy is the least experienced member of the group and full-back Ollie Smith is the youngest, having recently turned 23.

Centre Huw Jones and back-row Matt Fagerson make the cut this time as established first XV players after missing out four years ago.

Earlier this month, Gloucester fly-half Adam Hastings was released from the training squad, along with Glasgow Warriors centre Stafford McDowall, club-mate and full-back Kyle Rowe and Leicester Tigers lock Cameron Henderson.

Star full-back Stuart Hogg, 31, had planned to retire after the World Cup but brought that decision forward in July, while Exeter lock Jonny Gray is still recovering from a dislocated kneecap.

Scotland play one more warm-up against Georgia at Murrayfield on 26 August.

Townsend’s side kick off their World Cup campaign against reigning champions South Africa in Marseille on 10 September and also take on Tonga, Romania and Ireland in Pool B.

Cruel ending for McInally – analysis

BBC Scotland’s chief sports writer Tom English

We’re in scenic South Queensferry with stunning views of the great bridges and awaiting the arrival of the chosen men.

Saltires being pinned to walls of the host venue. Atmosphere building. The weather outside is lovely, which is a change to when the 2019 squad was announced at a dreich Linlithgow Palace.

The rain that day might have been a portent of doom for what was to come in Japan. Maybe the brightness of today is a good omen. Maybe…

McInally is the big talking point. Genuinely thought he had done enough to make it. He’d looked powerful in his appearances in the warm-up games but Cherry’s excellence off the bench against France at Murrayfield and Ashman’s youth has done for him.

That’s McInally retired now. Cruel. He was the big talking point on this day four years ago as well, only in a very different way. He was named captain. Best of luck to him. This will be a tough day for the big man. A tremendous Scotland player.

Scotland Rugby World Cup squad:

Forwards: Ewan Ashman, Jamie Bhatti, Dave Cherry, Luke Crosbie, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey, Matt Fagerson, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Richie Gray, WP Nel, Jamie Ritchie (capt), Pierre Schoeman, Javan Sebastian, Sam Skinner, Rory Sutherland, George Turner, Hamish Watson.

Backs: Darcy Graham, Blair Kinghorn, Chris Harris, Ben Healy, George Horne, Huw Jones, Ali Price, Cameron Redpath, Finn Russell, Ollie Smith, Kyle Steyn, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Ben White.