Ben Healy included in Scotland World Cup squad

Former Munster out-half Ben Healy has been included in the Scottish squad for the upcoming World Cup in France.

Tipperary born Healy qualifies to play for the Scots through his grandmother, and made his debut for them in March of this year against Italy during the Six Nations.

The 24-year-old played underage rugby for Ireland and is the lowest capped played to be included in the 33-man squad, with two appearances in total.

Elsewhere, Stuart McInally's rugby career is over after the long-serving Edinburgh hooker was one of four players cut from the final selection.

The 33-year-old, who captained the national team at Japan 2019, announced at the end of last season that he would retire after this autumn’s showpiece in France to become an airplane pilot but, after being part of the training squad this summer, he has not made the final selection.

Scrum-half Jamie Dobie, tighthead prop Murphy Walker and back-row Josh Bayliss are the other three players who have been released from the squad.

The omission of the latter trio was not a major surprise given they have only accumulated 10 caps between them so far.

McInally won his 49th and final cap in last Saturday’s 30-27 defeat by France in Saint-Etienne.

First-choice number nine Ben White is in the squad, indicating that he has been given the all-clear after seeing a specialist this week about the ankle injury that forced him off against France a week past Saturday.

Fourteen of the 33 players Gregor Townsend has selected were also in his squad for the last World Cup, while four of them – Grant Gilchrist, WP Nel, Richie Gray, the only survivor from New Zealand 2011, and Finn Russell – will be going to the tournament for a third time.

Eighteen members of the squad will be going to their