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Scots call up ex-England prop Hepburn for Six Nations

Six years after he won six England caps under Eddie Jones prop Alec Hepburn has been called up by Scotland.

The 29-year-old is one of four uncapped players included in a 39-man squad for the upcoming Six Nations.

Hepburn has completed his three-year stand-down period to switch allegiance to the nation of his father’s birth.

Leicester prop Will Hurd, Sale winger Arron Reed – both 24 – and 22-year-old Edinburgh back Harry Paterson are the other three newcomers in Gregor Townsend’s squad.

The most notable absentees from the squad are Hamish Watson, Rory Sutherland and Chris Harris – all of whom played for the British and Irish Lions in South Africa in 2021.

Hooker Dave Cherry – who departed the World Cup squad in September after falling down stairs at the team hotel in Nice on a day off – has also been omitted, with on-form Glasgow forward Johnny Matthews added to the squad.

Scotland kick off their campaign on February 3 against Wales in Cardiff, where they have not won since 2002.

“Cardiff is a special place to play and we haven’t won there for a number of years,” he said.

“It is a challenge we feel is right for our group after the way the World Cup ended, to show who we are and what we learnt (in France),” Townsend said.

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