Ollie Leatherbarrow earns Scotland call-up for Nations Championship squad

Newcastle back-rower Ollie Leatherbarrow has been called up by Scotland for the first time for next month’s Nations Championship fixtures.

The Macclesfield-born 24-year-old, who qualifies through his grandmother from Perth, is the most notable inclusion in a largely familiar 37-man pool named by Gregor Townsend for matches at Murrayfield against New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

Glasgow hooker Seb Stephen, who made his debut in the summer, has kept his place alongside other recent additions to the forward pack, Liam McConnell and Gregor Hiddleston.

Senior trio Jamie Ritchie, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe have all been included after returning recently from injuries.

Influential back-rower Jack Dempsey has retained his place despite leaving Glasgow in the summer to move to Japan.

Experienced lock Grant Gilchrist – who recently returned from injury – is a notable absentee from the squad, while Hector Patterson had been touted for potential involvement after a bright start to the season but the Edinburgh scrum-half has not made the cut.

Scotland squad for November’s Nation Championship matches:

Forwards: E Ashman (Edinburgh), J Bayliss (Bath), G Brown (Glasgow), S Cummings (Glasgow), A Craig (Glasgow), R Darge (Glasgow), J Dempsey (Toshiba Brave Lupus), M Fagerson (Glasgow), Z Fagerson (Glasgow), J Gray (Perpignan), G Hiddleston (Glasgow), W Hurd (Leicester), O Leatherbarrow (Newcastle), N McBeth (Glasgow), L McConnell (Edinburgh), E Millar Mills (Northampton), J Ritchie (Glasgow), P Schoeman (Edinburgh), R Sutherland (Glasgow), S Stephen (Glasgow), M Williamson (Glasgow).

Backs: F Burke (Saracens), J Dobie (Glasgow), D Graham (Edinburgh), G Horne (Glasgow), R Hutchinson (Northampton), H Jones (Toulon), T Jordan (Bristol), B Kinghorn (Toulouse), S McDowall (Glasgow Warriors), K Rowe (Glasgow), F Russell (Bath), O Smith (Glasgow), K Steyn (Glasgow), S Tuipulotu (Glasgow), D Van der Merwe (Edinburgh), B White (Toulon).