'An edge': Rising Scotland star earns his stripes by scrapping with Pierre Schoeman

He has already seen first hand that McConnell is not afraid of reputations and believes it augurs well for his development as an international player.

The 21-year-old is one of three uncapped players in Townsend’s squad for the forthcoming autumn series and the Scotland coach likes the former Scotland Under-20 captain’s attitude.

“When we trained with the under-20s he'd often get in fights with Pierre Schoeman and others, so he brought an edge,” said the Scotland coach. “You see that in players that end up playing at the highest level: they want it straight away, they're prepared to put their bodies on the line. They're not waiting for someone to be injured to get an opportunity. They're going to force their hand.

“It's not just the edge he brings in training but also the work he's done on his skills and physically. We got a lot of good feedback from how he trained in Edinburgh pre-season – what he's doing fitness-wise, what he's doing in the games.”

McConnell has started all three of Edinburgh’s URC games this season and his club coach, Sean Everitt, praised the player for returning in the best physical shape after the summer and posting a record time in the gruelling ‘bronco’ fitness test in pre-season. Everitt even suggested he could be a future Scotland captain and although Townsend felt that was premature, he did acknowledge that McConnell had been “a great captain for the under-20s”. He also skippered Emerging Scotland against Italy U23 last season.

McConnell ‘has earned that opportunity’

“This will be his first involvement with us in a full squad,” said Townsend. “He's earned that opportunity. We know there's more to come.

“He's got ability to play across the back-row. Blindside, you'd think, is the natural position for him with the lineout ability and the toughness he brings. But he's got the speed to play No 8. And he's shown on the defensive side, post-tackle, he could play seven. So, that's someone who definitely has a big future ahead of him.”

McConnell is joined in the squad by his Edinburgh team-mate Harri Morris who is also uncapped and another player who Townsend believes is brimming with potential. At 24, the hooker is three years older than McConnell but has not had many opportunities this season, with Scotland internationals Ewan Ashman and Paddy Harrison ahead of him in the pecking order at the capital club who also signed hooker/flanker hybrid Dylan Richardson in the summer.

“If he'd been blocked by someone who wasn't available for Scotland, then maybe it would have been more frustrating,” reflected Townsend. “But Harri, every time he's played, he's brought an impact. He was involved with us last year with the Emerging game.

“We've seen how he's developed. Even at club level, he's outstanding. I've watched him play for Melrose and just seen the influence he has in the game and the impact he can have. What he needed to work on really was his set piece side.

“How he manages himself, how he controls himself with that aggression and power that he brings. We've seen that improvement. We definitely have. There's so much upside in Harri with what he can do and potentially do at Test level.”

Verdict on Johnny Matthews

Johnny Matthews, the Glasgow Warriors hooker, has been overlooked again despite notching his 50th try for the club in only 101 appearances at the weekend.

“I think Johnny's playing well this year,” said Townsend. “I think he's started the season in good form. He's been really consistent for Glasgow. We just feel with Harri we want to give him this opportunity. What we see Harri brings on that physical side, we want to see more of that in training.”

McConnell and Morris could both feature in the opening autumn game against the USA on November 1 when Townsend selects a team of home-based players only.

The third uncapped player in the 45-man Scotland squad is Alexander Masibaka of Montpellier who went on the summer tour and played in the non-cap win over the Maori All Blacks.