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'More serious' - Glasgow issue brutal Adam Hastings update

Adam Hastings of Scotland arrives prior to a match against Canada on July 06, 2024 in Ottawa, Ontario. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images for Scottish Rugby)

Glasgow head coach Franco Smith has confirmed he expects to be without Scotland fly-half Adam Hastings for at least the next three months.

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The 28-year-old Warrior has undergone successful surgery on a fractured jaw suffered in last Friday’s URC victory over Scarlets, after being hit by Vaea Fifita.

It is the latest in a series of injury setbacks for the former Gloucester playmaker, who will miss the entire pool stages of Glasgow’s European Champions Cup campaign – which starts at home against Sale on Saturday – and almost certainly at least the first two games of the Six Nations Championship, if not more.

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It was the second head knock Hastings has suffered this season, having been forced off after failing an HIA on his first start since returning the club, against Benetton back in late September, which kept him out of the following URC match against Cardiff.

Smith visited Hastings in hospital last Saturday and was able to welcome the player back to Scotstoun on Thursday after his surgery.

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Investec Champions Cup
Glasgow
38 - 19
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Sale
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“It was more serious than we thought after the game, and then he had the operation,” reported the head coach. “He was back in the building yesterday to say hi to everybody, and he looks good. The operation was obviously a success. It’s now just time.

“I’m glad in a way that it’s also a bone break so that he can completely recover from the concussion that he’s had. The length of time that he’s out will obviously then be important also from the concussion perspective”.

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Smith said the prognosis for Hastings, who started Scotland’s autumn Tests against Fiji and Portugal last month, is an absence of “at least a three-month period, an eight to 12-week period at least.”

“Anything before, we’ll be really grateful and happy to have him,” he explained. With those things, it’s all about confidence, getting back into the contact environment, so it’s not just the healing process that’s important.

Adam Hastings Scotland
Adam Hastings of Scotland looks on during the first half against the United States at Audi Field on July 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images)

“It’s also the technical work and the confidence that he’s got to get back into a contact sport that’s going to probably lengthen the period. But hopefully, we’ll get him back within the prescribed period.”

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Tom Jordan will revert to No.10 on Saturday in a powerful Glasgow backline expected to be further bolstered in the coming weeks by the return of full-back Ollie Smith – out for a year with an ACL knee injury – and captain Kyle Steyn.

Smith’s options in the second row have been depleted by the departure of Richie Gray to Japan, the continued absence of JP du Preez – also on the way back from a serious knee injury – and the injuries picked up by Max Williamson and Gregor Brown on Scotland duty last month.

Smith had contemplated signing an extra lock as cover – Scarlets’ Scotland cap Alex Craig was reportedly on the verge of heading to Scotstoun – but has opted against a new recruit for the time being.

“We had a specific person in mind, and it didn’t work out for now,” he explained. “With a European competition, you must contract people for at least three months to have them part of the competition. So we want the right person, not any person, to come into the environment.

“At the moment, it’s just an awkward period, so it does feel like our resources are not enough. But in a month’s time, everybody will be back on their feet. And then a guy that we bring in might be at the back end of the queue, and we would not be able to keep the promises that were made to get the player in the building. So for now we’re going to keep on looking for the right guy going forward.”

Head-to-Head

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For Saturday’s clash with Sale, Smith has handed only a second senior start to 6ft 8in, 120kg Nigerian lock Jare Oguntibeju, a 22-year-old former Scotland Under-20s star raised in Edinburgh and South Africa who made his Warriors debut against Scarlets last week after completing his recovery over recent months from a serious knee injury.

“We brought him in for a training camp at the end of last season and immediately we said we need to work with him,” Smith explained. “Obviously, he’s had a big toe injury and then a big knee injury that we’ve now conditioned through the medical department and the S&C guys have done a great job on him.

“From a rugby perspective, he’s also growing. He’s a later arrival to the game, but he’s learned, he’s intelligent and he’s trying to step up every day.

“It’s going to be a big challenge for him as it is for everybody. But like I did with (hooker) Gregor Hiddleston against Exeter last year and (locks) Alex Samuel and Max Williamson, when the time is right and there’s enough players of quality around a young player like that, it allows us to bring these young people through.”

Smith believes the “hurt” from going out to Harlequins at the last-16 stage of the Champions Cup last season – after leading in the 78th minute – served as inspiration for Glasgow to knuckle down and go on to win the URC title in stunning style.
They will revisit the Twickenham Stoop in January to face Quins in their final pool game, after a trip to France to face Toulon next week and a home fixture with Racing 92 in the new year.

While Smith is keen for his players to build on last season’s league triumph with a strong run in Europe’s elite competition, he has played down suggestions they could be dark horses for the title.

“Well, I don’t want the expectation to influence what we try to do here,” he added. “Yes, the squad needs to kick on in every game that we play. The quality of the players and the way they’ve developed, the way they work at their game and the influence that the internationals had on their experience obviously is important. We need to continue evolving and growing and continue adding value to the squad in various ways.

“The Champions Cup is a massive competition to play in as well as the URC, but there’s something special about playing the French and the Premiership sides. So definitely one of the objectives is to perform as best as we can in this competition.”

Glasgow Warriors team v Sale Sharks:
Josh McKay; Sebastian Cancelliere, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (capt), Kyle Rowe, Tom Jordan, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti, Gregor Hiddleston, Zander Fagerson, Jare Oguntibeju, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Henco Venter.

Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Rory Sutherland, Sam Talakai, Alex Samuel, Ally Miller, Jack Mann, Jamie Dobie, Duncan Weir.

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I
IkeaBoy 3 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.”

Good lad, just checking. So you’re not a bot! Chelsea bombed the 2008 final more than United won it. John Terry… couldn’t happen to a nicer fella.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made.”

So the difference between 2021 and 2023 would of course be TWO YEARS. 24 months would account for 3 different seasons. They contested ECL finals twice in two years. The first in 2021 - which they lost - was still the first elite European final in the clubs then 141 year history. Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement? Guess what age he was then…


“I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright.”

I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…

Why would I address Eddie Jones? Why would he be deserving of a single sentence?


“I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.”

So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?


“lol u really need to chill out”

Simply frightful! If you’re not a bot you’re at least Gen-Z?

171 Go to comments
f
fl 4 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca”

Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made. With Barcelona, Pep made the semi final four consecutive times - with City he’s managed only 3 in 8 years. This year they didn’t even make the round of 16.


To re-cap, you wrote that Pep “has gotten better with age. By every measure.” There are some measures that support what you’re saying, but the vast majority of the measures that you have highlighted actually show the opposite.


I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.


I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright. You’ve also not addressed Eddie Jones.


I agree wrt Schmidt. He would ideally be retained, but it wouldn’t work to have a remote head coach. He should definitely be hired as a consultant/analyst/selector though.


“Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.”

lol u really need to chill out lad. Kiss and Schmidt would both be great members of the coaching set up in 2025, but it would be ridiculous to bank on either to retain the head coach role until 2031.

171 Go to comments
I
IkeaBoy 5 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca. The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.


His time with City - a lower win ratio compared to Bayern Munich as you say - includes a 100 PT season. A feat that will likely never be surpassed. I appreciate you don’t follow soccer too closely but even casual fans refer to the sport in ‘pre and post Pep’ terms and all because of what he has achieved and is continuing to achieve, late career. There is a reason that even U10’s play out from the back now at every level of the game. That’s also a fairly recent development.


How refreshing to return to rugby on a rugby forum.


Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.


His career since has even included director of rugby positions. He would have an extremely good idea of where the game is at and where it is going in addition to governance experience and dealings. Not least in Oz were many of the players will have come via or across Rugby League pathways.


Gatland isn’t a valid coach to compare too. He only ever over-achieved and was barely schools level without Shaun Edwards at club or test level. His return to Wales simply exposed his limitations and a chaotic union. It wasn’t age.


Schmidt is open to staying involved in a remote capacity which I think deserves more attention. It would be a brain drain to lose him. He stepped in to coach the ABs in the first 2022 test against Ireland when Foster was laid out with Covid. They mullered Ireland 42-19. He was still heavily involved in the RWC 2023 quarter final. Same story.


Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.

171 Go to comments
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