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Magnus Bradbury is serving a suspension, the impressive Ben Muncaster is injured while the other eligible players in that position are raw youngsters.
Bayliss’ withdrawal means Townsend has now lost for the entire tournament four of the original squad he named on 15 January – Sione Tuipulotu, Dylan Richardson, Scott Cummings and now Bayliss.
Before he named that squad he was already without Kyle Steyn, Adam Hastings, Max Williamson, Andy Christie and Muncaster.
The majority of those nine players would be either certainties for the starting XV or likely to be in the matchday squad.
There is also a concern over Jonny Gray, who has only played three games since the end of October and none since the middle of December.
The lock was expected to make his comeback on Saturday against Lyon but Bordeaux deemed him unfit to play.
He may recover in time to face Italy on Saturday, but there has to be a concern about his sharpness for the intensity of the Six Nations after being out for so long.
Townsend is likely to draft in cover at second row in what is an increasingly challenging preamble to his eighth Six Nations as coach.
