Three Scotland players will be rested for the remainder of this season in order to give them the best opportunity to contribute to a winning Scotland team at the Rugby World Cup and to Magners League and Heineken Cup success for their pro-teams next season.

The decision has been taken by Scotland head coach Andy Robinson in conjunction with medical and fitness specialists and following dialogue with pro-team head coaches. The three players who are being rested from the four remaining Magners Leagues this season are Edinburgh front-row forwards Allan Jacobsen and Ross Ford and Glasgow Warriors lock forward Richie Gray.

Andy Robinson: Decision made in best interests of players

Robinson declared: “Ross Ford and Allan Jacobsen have had high game time in the previous three years and have played a lot of rugby this season.  We feel it is in their best interests to be unavailable for Edinburgh now.

“Richie is being taken out of action for Glasgow.  He has had double the game time this year compared to last and the intensity of the matches in which he has been playing has also increased.  It is important for his development over the next two to three years that we have made the decision we have now.”

Robinson, James Robson, Scottish Rugby’s Head of Medical Services, and Graham Lowe, Director of Performance Rugby, all stressed that the decision was player focussed.

Four other frontline Scottish internationalists, Glasgow Warriors trio Al Kellock, John Barclay and Max Evans and Edinburgh full-back Chris Paterson are all currently carrying niggling injuries but both Evans and Paterson could yet feature in the current Magners League campaign.

Robinson said the decision had not been taken lightly and that he understood that it would not please all pro-team supporters but he noted: “by making this decision now I believe we will have better players going back to the pro-teams after the Rugby World Cup.”