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Fit-again Hastings set to play his first match in 16 weeks after dislocated shoulder

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Adam Hastings has shrugged off fears that he might not play in the 2021 Guinness Six Nations by recovering quicker than expected from a dislocated shoulder to be fit to start for Glasgow in their Friday night PRO14 clash at home to Ulster.   

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Hastings was injured when starting for Scotland in their October 31 match away to Wales in the delayed finish to the 2020 Six Nations. It was feared at the time the damage was potentially serious enough to make him unavailable for the entire 2021 championship. 

However, the No10, who will next season join Gloucester, has returned fighting fit and is set to play his first match in 16 weeks when the Warriors take on their Irish visitors at Scotstoun. 

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Jamie Roberts joins Ryan Wilson on the latest RugbyPass Offload

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Jamie Roberts joins Ryan Wilson on the latest RugbyPass Offload

With Finn Russell also injured in that same October Test match as Hastings, Gregor Townsend turned to Duncan Weir and Jaco van der Welt during the Autumn Nations Cup, but the fit-again Russell has started their recent matches against England and Wales with van der Welt providing cover on the bench.  

Scotland out-half Hastings is one of twelve internationals selected in the Glasgow matchday squad by boss Danny Wilson whose team is returning to action for the first time in a month since their 23-22 victory over Edinburgh.

Oli Kebble’s release from Scotland camp during the Six Nations fallow week sees the loosehead run out in Glasgow colours for the first time since the December trip to Exeter, and Richie Gray also returns to the side following international duty. He will combine with Leone Nakarawa who is making his first start for the club in a year.

Wilson said: “It’s great to be back and looking forward to playing some rugby. It’s good to have five players back from Scotland camp to get some game time, and it’s great to have Adam back fit and available to us. Ulster gave us a real tough day over at the Kingspan earlier in the season. They are a very powerful side.”

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GLASGOW (vs Ulster, Friday)
1. Oli Kebble (52)
2. Johnny Matthews (7)
3. Enrique Pieretto (9)
4. Richie Gray (53)
5. Leone Nakarawa (73)
6. Rob Harley (241)
7. Thomas Gordon (27)
8. Ryan Wilson (capt) (181)
9. Jamie Dobie (14)
10. Adam Hastings (46)
11. Rufus McLean (1)
12. Sam Johnson (66)
13. Robbie Fergusson (7)
14. Ratu Tagive (20)
15. Huw Jones (45)

Replacements:
16. Grant Stewart (39)
17. Aki Seiuli (22)
18. D’arcy Rae (78)
19. James Scott (0)
20. TJ Ioane (8)
21. Sean Kennedy (12)
22. Ross Thompson (2)
23. Ollie Smith (1)

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J
JG 42 minutes ago
Scott Robertson opens up on drama surrounding Bongi Mbonambi's knock-on try

Oh my word, for how long are they still going to keep bleating about that try.

The match officials DID explain it at the time, ruling that the ball was knocked out of Bongi’s hand by a NZ player. The ball went straight down (not forward) and Bongi fell on it, thus resulting in the try being awarded.

So it is disingenuous of Robertson to say that it wasn’t checked. If the match officials are confident in their decision, based on what they saw, then they don’t usually go to the TMO - even if requested.

Or else they’ll be going upstairs for virtually every try scored in a match.

Seriously, the Kiwis must now get over themselves. Every time they lose a match by a narrow margin, they find something to go on and on about. It’s almost as if they believe that other teams are “not allowed” to beat them.

Mind you, I think that dates back to a few years earlier when it seemed like the All Blacks were untouchable in the eyes of the match officials at the time.

Maybe Robertson still thinks that is the case nowadays. He hasn’t received the memo about the ABs no longer being unfairly “protected” by match officials.

Let’s face it - there was a time, not too long ago, where players from other teams were almost too afraid to touch or tackle a New Zealand player, for fear of incurring the referee's wrath.

And also, around the same time, NZ captain Richie McCaw was the “golden boy” amongst match officials and even amongst the big brass at the (then) IRB (now World Rugby).

Dont get me wrong, I’m an admirer of McCaw as a player and captain - I think he was great. And I will ALWAYS regard the All Blacks as a great Rugby team.

BUT let’s just be realistic, the New Zealand Rugby fraternity do tend to have this rather large sense of entitlement when it comes to test matches won or lost.

They expect other teams to accept it whenever a dubious decision goes the All Blacks’ way in a game.

BUT they don’t seem willing to do the same.

They'll routinely congratulate their opponents when they lose a match, but will then (for months, or even years afterwards), continue to bleat and “bitch” about a decision or incident that occurred in that match, trying to play the “victim” that was hard-done-by.

Perhaps it’s time for all involved in NZ Rugby to realize and accept that NO team should expect to have the right to always be “protected” or “favoured” in every match they play in.


Come on Scott Robertson, quit sinking to the low levels of some of your predecessors who, annoyingly, believed that the All Blacks have some divine, inalienable right to win every match they play.

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