Gray makes surprise return for Scots

This time last year, Scott Gray was turning out for Doncaster in England's National League One.

Now the 30-year-old flanker could be tackling New Zealand and world champions South Africa after being recalled by Scotland for the autumn internationals.

Gray was the surprise selection in the 31-man squad named by head coach Frank Hadden, four years after his only cap against Australia.

The forward failed to earn a place in a 50-man training party last month but has clearly done enough since to impress.

A year ago the former Bath star was in the midst of a 10-month contract with Doncaster and his performances against Northampton led to him being snapped up by them.

“I’m really enjoying being at the Saints,” said Gray, who was born in Zimbabwe and qualifies for the national team courtesy of a Scottish father.

“I’ve played at openside and have been getting plenty of game time.”

Suspended forward Scott MacLeod was an expected omission from the squad for the matches against the All Blacks, the Springboks and Canada.

The Scarlets lock, 29, was revealed to have failed a drugs test on Monday night and has been banned from competitive rugby pending an investigation.

MacLeod, who has 21 caps, was one of 16 players axed from last month’s training party, which also lost four players to injury.

Gray was one of eight Guinness Premiership stars selected, with Hadden electing to drop only three of the original 10 who were at the centre of the Scottish Rugby Union’s recent row with English clubs over player release.

Despite being uncapped, Glasgow back Max Evans and Edinburgh prop Geoff Cross, both 25, made the cut.

Dave Callam (Edinburgh), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh) and Fergus Thomson (Glasgow) were all ruled out through injury.

Glasgow captain Alastair Kellock was arguably the most high-profile omission for a set of matches which will determine Scotland’s ranking going into the 2011 World Cup draw.

Hadden said: “We know the huge importance of our November matches given the draw for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and at this stage I’m pleased at the competition we have for places.

“Twenty three of the squad were with us in Argentina during the summer, including Max Evans and Geoff Cross, and we’ve been impressed especially by the manner in which Max and Geoff have raised their game this season.

“We’ve also been watching Scott Gray closely at Northampton, where he’s put in some great shifts at openside.”

The Scotland-based players will convene on Monday at a warm-weather training camp in Spain, while the rest of the squad will be able to join them two days later, 12 days before the opening Test against the All Blacks on November 8.

But Hadden could lose his eight Premiership players for five days during that period, with the International Rugby Board recently ruling their clubs could recall them to play in EDF Energy Cup matches on the weekend of November 1.

There is also a potential row brewing with Welsh clubs, who said they would not release players for the training camp.

The SRU are seeking clarification from the IRB on the matter.

Apart from MacLeod, the only member of the original 50 selected last month who plays for a Welsh region is Nikki Walker, but he was omitted.

Hadden defended the camp, saying: “Our training facilities on the back pitches at Murrayfield are currently being enhanced and are thus out of the equation, so we have identified the warm-weather camp in Spain as the ideal route.”