Major doubt cast on Rory Darge's Scotland November Tests

Glasgow flanker Rory Darge faces a race to return in time for Scotland’s key autumn Test against New Zealand next month after being sidelined by a knee injury.

The 25-year-old sustained the issue in the second half of Warriors’ opening URC win over the Sharks last week, playing on for 10 minutes after treatment before being taken off.

Scans have confirmed damage to his MCL, with Glasgow head coach Franco Smith reporting a projected recovery time of four to six weeks.

Scotland open their Autumn Nations Series campaign against the USA in four weeks, on 1 November, and will target a first ever win over the All Blacks a week later, on 8 November.

Darge has captained Scotland in their last seven Tests, five as co-captain with Finn Russell during this year’s Six Nations before leading the side on his own in their summer Tests against Fiji and Samoa.

His absence would be a major blow for Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, but Smith said he wouldn’t discount Darge returning ahead of schedule.

“He’s going to have a four-to-six-week recovery time on his injury,” he said. “It’s his MCL, so it’s not that serious around his knee. If you want to hurt your knee, I suppose that’s the best one [ligament] to hurt, so we will see.

“I’m sure they’ll work hard to get him ready for the autumn series. I’m sure that he’s going to recover for some or most of it.

“I think once the pain or the soreness is away, then usually with those injuries you can push on. I played my whole rugby career without any of those ligaments. As soon as you get the proprioception [balance and control of movement] back and the strengthening, then they usually go.

“That depends from person to person. He’s quite a tough and resilient player. So for now, you shouldn’t rule out anything.”

While Smith will have to do without his first-choice openside for Glasgow’s next four URC games starting against Benetton on Saturday, he is hopeful Scotland No.8 Jack Dempsey could get some game-time before the November Tests.

Dempsey was poised for a first competitive start since the Six Nations last Friday against Sharks but the 31-year-old pulled up with a groin issue towards the end of the warm-up, forcing his late withdrawal from the starting XV.

“With Jack, fortunately, it’s not going to be as serious as I thought originally, so that’s good news,” Smith said. “Hopefully we can see him before the autumn Test matches.”

Smith said Dempsey may have unwittingly sustained the problem with the intensity of his rehabilitation from his longstanding hamstring problem.

“It’s a little bit different,” he explained. “The players work hard to get back in shape. They concentrate and focus so much on the injury that you’re recovering that you stress the other parts of your body as well. That’s just come at the back end of a very hard, long recovery process.

“It’s unfortunate but it’s not all bad. It’s a bit of a setback, but it’s not the end of the world at all.”

Better news for both Smith and Scotland is the return of centre Sione Tuipulotu – who led the national team in last year’s autumn series before a pec injury saw him miss the Six Nations – for the first time since his Lions tour exertions, plus captain Kyle Steyn, who also gets a first run-out of the season after recovering from a hand fracture.

“I’m very excited for both of them; they are eager to contribute,” Smith said. “Sione has hardly been involved with us in the last six months. I could see the excitement this week from his perspective. Obviously, he wants to get a bit of continuity going into the autumn period. We know how important that is.

“But his contribution here is massively important too, so he’s very excited – the same with Kyle. Kyle wanted to lead the team out last week. He was touch and go then, but he’s excited to contribute as well now and lead from the front. It’s good to have some influential people coming into the group.”

This will be the fourth season Steyn, who Smith installed as captain when he took over at Glasgow in the summer of 2022, has led the side and the head coach said he was more than happy for the 31-year-old to continue in the role, despite the likes of Tuipulotu and Stafford McDowall also doing the job on a regular basis.

“Look, it’s not like you don’t give it some thought every season,” he said. “But Kyle has led this club both through the way he plays and his work ethic, but also in the respect that the players have for him. There’s no reason for us to not give him the full confidence. He’s proven himself.

“That’s maybe the way I feel about life as well. You don’t always have to scratch where it doesn’t itch. The leadership group here is not just made up of Kyle Steyn, he is not the only leader. We have a lot of leaders, a lot of captains, and they help each other.

“There’s Stafford and Sione. Rory Darge is somebody that’s proved that they can lead the team. But there’s more. There’s Scotty Cummings that’s part of the leadership group. Young guys like [Jamie] Dobie are putting a hand up for more responsibility.

“We’ve got numerous guys that have grown in that role. But Kyle’s the leader of the leaders and he merits the confidence that we have in him.”

As well as Tuipulotu and Steyn, Smith has also handed four other Scotland contenders a chance to prove their form against Benetton as the autumn Tests approach.

Adam Hastings and Dobie start at half-back, with Dan Lancaster and George Horne on the bench, while hybrid lock/flanker Gregor Brown starts at blindside and Rory Sutherland at loosehead.

In the absence of Darge, Dempsey and other back-rowers in Sione Vailanu and Ally Miller, there is also just a second senior start for 22-year-old Maccenzie Duncan, a standout in pre-season.

“That was in our plan anyway this week,” Smith added. “We’re going to need these boys match ready and fit when the internationals are away, but he specifically merits this opportunity to start this week. He’s really come into the season in very good shape. I’m excited to see what he can bring for us.”