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Scotland get treble injury boost but Smith leaves complex decision to Townsend
By Bryn Palmer
Scotland No.8 Jack Dempsey could make his competitive return to action for Glasgow next week after seven months out, eight days before Scotland’s opening game of the Autumn Nations Series campaign against the USA.
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But tighthead prop Zander Fagerson is unlikely to have any meaningful game time before the international season begins – leaving Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend with a selection dilemma as he finalises his training squad to be announced next week.
Glasgow head coach Franco Smith had hoped Dempsey, who picked up a groin issue three weeks ago before he was due to start against Sharks, having recovered from a hamstring injury which had sidelined him since March, might be available for Saturday’s URC fixture at Ospreys.
His comeback has been delayed for at least another week, even if Smith reported on Friday that Dempsey, Fagerson – who has not played since April following calf and knee problems – plus flanker Rory Darge, who damaged knee ligaments against Sharks, were all still “on track” and “progressing well” in their bid to be part of Scotland’s campaign.
“I definitely think all of them will be available at some stage, so that’s why the progression is very good,” he said. “Hopefully, slowly but surely, they will be able to be added to the training squad and then to be performing for Scotland, obviously, is an objective.”
While Scotland’s second autumn Test against New Zealand is a more likely comeback target for Darge, Townsend will have to weigh up the risks of re-introducing Fagerson straight back into Test rugby, given Smith gave no indication the prop is likely to feature in Glasgow’s final URC game against Bulls next Friday, 24 October, before the international break.
“I definitely think some rugby is important for them,” said the Warriors coach. “I don’t know what the plan is with the USA game from a Scottish perspective. For us, I think there’s a good chance that Jack will be involved next week anyway, regardless of what’s going to happen next for Scotland. We can’t invent rugby time for them at the moment.
“It’s going to be Gregor’s decision on how he’s going to use them and introduce them. We obviously are doing the best we can to have them available in the best form, shape and physical condition that they can be. We do not have more games to play for them.”
The situation at tighthead prop is exacerbated by the fact that none of Scotland’s players based in England and France will be available for the USA game on 1 November, given it is outside the official autumn Test window.
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As well as the uncertainty over first-choice No.3 Fagerson, Northampton’s Elliott Millar-Mills and Leicester’s Will Hurd – the two main back-ups over the past 18 months – will be unavailable against the USA.
The Scotland side for that game will be made up almost exclusively of Glasgow and Edinburgh players, giving possible opportunities to the likes of Warriors’ Fin Richardson, who won his first Test cap as a replacement against Fiji this summer, and Edinburgh’s D’Arcy Rae, who won a second cap last autumn, five years after his debut.
Javan Sebastian, who has featured in every URC game for Cardiff since leaving Edinburgh, starting their first two, may also come into consideration.
Another tighthead who already has five caps under his belt is Murphy Walker, who will start only his ninth game for Glasgow, and the seventh in Smith’s four seasons in charge, against Ospreys.
The Dundee-born prop, who turns 26 next week, was seen as Fagerson’s potential long-term successor after being capped twice in the autumn of 2022 following just eight senior outings for Glasgow.
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But his career has been stymied by a series of serious injuries over the last three years, with neck, calf and knee problems restricting him to just 10 more club games since his first Scotland caps.
After more neck surgery this summer, he made his latest comeback off the bench against Dragons last week and will start against Ospreys in Bridgend.
But Smith is urging caution about expecting too much, too soon from the nephew of Sean Lineen, the former Scotland centre and Glasgow coach.
“The main conversation between me and him was to keep expectations at bay,” Smith said. “I think he started off playing at a high level when he wasn’t physically ready for the challenge yet and I think that led to some of the injuries, in my honest opinion.
“Now he’s had a chance to physically improve and become so much stronger, he’s a much better age profile now for an international tighthead or a tighthead in this (URC) competition. I hope that the medical side of things are now in place and that he’s physically best prepared to continue on the journey now.”
Smith believes the early expectation around Walker may have caused him to push too hard, too early in previous comebacks, but insists the adversity he has endured in recent seasons has made him a “mentally tougher” proposition.
“This time around we just want to make sure that we build the innings for him,” he said. “He knows exactly what to expect. He’s experienced enough with comeback games. I think he’s level-headed and he’s managed his emotions well.
“We would like to help that as well by not having any more expectation of him, other than trying his best and delivering the best performance he can for where he’s at. It’s that confidence that we want to instil in him to allow him to make a step forward and progress this week, rather than be the ultimate performer.
“I believe he’s mentally much stronger. He matured as a person. Obviously, he understands the positive and negative things. He’s dealt with adversity. He’s come back from injury, he’s been under the knife.
“The big difference is physically he’s got so much stronger. If you spend so much time on the rear and it’s certain parts of your body, the rest develops. I’m sure that he’s much stronger, definitely much fitter and much more mentally tough than he’s ever been.”