ZANDER FAGERSON will make his comeback for Glasgow Warriors against Cardiff Blues tomorrow night after five months out recovering from ankle surgery back in September, raising the prospect that the 23-year-old prop could return to the Scotland fold as early as next week, when the national team take on France in Paris.
Scotland are light at tight-head with WP Nel picking up a calf injury against Italy in their opening game of this year’s Six Nations Championship, meaning that Simon Berghan started against Ireland last weekend, while D’Arcy Rae picked up his first cap off the bench. With 18-caps and a formidable reputation in both the tight and loose, Fagerson could add some invaluable ballast to the national cause against France.
George Turner is also returning from injury at hooker for Warriors, while Rob Harley will captain the side from blind-side flanker. Kyle Steyn – recruited from Scotland 7s – gets his first appearance on the wing, and Academy prospect Thomas Gordon gets his first start at open-side flanker.
A number of Scotland squad members have been released back to play for the cub this weekend. Pete Horne starts at stand-off with Adam Hastings providing cover from the bench, while Ali Price is at scrum-half.
Meanwhile, outside-centre Nick Grigg will be determined to make a big impression with an opportunity to push his place into the gap which has opened up in the national team by the injury picked up by Huw Jones.
Glasgow Warriors (versus Cardiff Blues at Cardiff Arms Park, Saturday at 7.35pm, live on Premier Sports 1): Ruaridh Jackson; Kyle Steyn, Nick Grigg, Stafford McDowall, Rory Hughes; Pete Horne, Ali Price; Alex Allan, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Tim Swinson, Scott Cummings, Rob Harley©, Thomas Gordon, Adam Ashe. Substitues: Kevin Bryce, Jamie Bhatti, Siua Halanukonuka, Kiran McDonald, Tevita Tamielau, Nick Frisby, Adam Hastings, Robbie Nairn.
Injured players: Bruce Flockhart (ankle), Matt Fagerson (shoulder), Chris Fusaro (neck), Callum Gibbins (ankle/knee), Stuart Hogg (shoulder), George Horne (shoulder), Huw Jones (knee), Lee Jones (knee), Oli Kebble (illness), Patrick Kelly (shoulder), Niko Matawalu (head), Matt Smith (shoulder), DTH van der Merwe (shoulder) and Ryan Wilson (knee).
Rested by Scotland: Fraser Brown, Jonny Gray, Sam Johnson and Tommy Seymour.
Cardiff Blues: Matthew Morgan; Owen Lane, Harri Millard, Rey Lee-Lo, Aled Summerhill; Jarrod Evans, Lloyd Williams; Rhys Gill, Kristian Dacey (capt.), Dmitri Arhip, Seb Davies, Rory Thornton, Josh Turnbull, Olly Robinson, Nick Williams. Subsyitutes: Liam Belcher, Rhys Carré, Scott Andrews, Macauley Cook, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Dane Blacker, Dan Fish, Garyn Smith
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