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Scotland's Ollie Smith ruled out of Six Nations with flanker facing fitness race
By Josh Raisey
Glasgow Warriors have confirmed that Scotland fullback Ollie Smith will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his knee.
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The 23-year-old picked up the injury against Bayonne in the Investec Champions Cup and was immediately flagged as an injury worry for the Guinness Six Nations. Ahead of round three of the Champions Cup this weekend against Exeter Chiefs, the Warriors confirmed that he will not only be unavailable for the Six Nations, but the remainder of his club side’s campaign too.
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend was handed another injury concern by Glasgow, who have revealed that flanker Rory Darge will miss their upcoming games with a knee injury he sustained against Edinburgh last month. In the club’s injury update this week, it was confirmed that the 23-year-old will be “sidelined for the club’s upcoming fixtures,” but they only have two matches before Scotland’s Six Nations campaign gets underway against Wales of February 3.
While there is no clarification as to whether Darge will be fit for the visit to Cardiff next month, assistant coach Nigel Carolan said this week that he will be close to a return by then. That is far better than what Glasgow were expecting though, as it was originally feared that the flanker could be out for month.
“It was a pretty nasty-looking injury at the time and we feared the worst,” he said. “But thankfully all the tests have come back really positive, so it’s only a matter of weeks as opposed to months as first feared. He’s certainly one we’re in a more positive mindset about.
“It’s only a mild strain on his MCL. Thankfully it’s not as bad as first feared.”
A positive for Scotland is that back rows Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey have begun their “reintegration to team training” following facial injuries, as has winger Kyle Steyn, who has been recovering from an ankle injury suffered in round two of the United Rugby Championship season.
Elsewhere in the Glasgow squad, lock Gregor Brown will be out of action for a “couple of months” after picking up a knee injury in the same match as Smith. Sione Vailanu also has a knee injury, this time picked up in the first derby against Edinburgh at Scotstoun, but is currently undergoing assessment. Nathan McBeth injured his shoulder a week later against Edinburgh at Murrayfield, and will now miss the upcoming European fixtures.
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