Scotland injuries create huge opportunities, says McFarland

Dan McFarland says the opportunities open to Scotland's fit front-row forwards need to be embraced

Forwards coach Dan McFarland says Scotland cannot afford to become too downbeat about their front-row injury crisis before the Six Nations.

Hooker George Turner has been ruled out of the tournament with knee ligament damage, the latest in a long line of front-row injuries.

McFarland remains confident that the Scotland pack will hold up.

"This just gives a huge opportunity for other fellows to come and show us what they can do," said McFarland.

"I love that, that's brilliant.

"It's really unfortunate for guys who can't play and represent their country because they're injured but for other fellows, it's a great opportunity.

"As we know from November [Test series], guys stepped in who many people hadn't even heard of before and played some fantastic rugby.

Scott Lawson, capped 46 times, is back in the Scotland squad

"I'm confident. These are good rugby players. It's a terrific opportunity for them to show what they can do, show what we can do. It's really positive going into the Six Nations.

"You dwell on it too long, you could really take a negative point of view on it [but] I don't see it like that. We have the players that are available to us and everybody does the best job with those players.

"The guys who are playing on the pitch, who are actually out there - they're loving it, so what's not to love for us as we're putting the team together? Brilliant."

Following Turner's injury in Glasgow Warriors' weekend win over Exeter Chiefs, Edinburgh hooker Neil Cochrane has been added to the squad with his club-mate Stuart McInally and Newcastle's Scott Lawson the other hookers.

Simon Berghan, Jamie Bhatti, Murray McCallum, Gordon Reid, D'arcy Rae and Jon Welsh are Scotland's options at prop, though Berghan is suspended for the Six Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff on 3 February.

Hookers Ross Ford and Fraser Brown, tight-heads Zander Fagerson and WP Nel, and loose-head trio Darryl Marfo, Allan Dell and Al Dickinson are all unavailable.

Lawson last played for Scotland in 2014 and McFarland said the 36-year-old had returned to Scotland training "like a duck to water".

"Scott's been playing really well," McFarland. "Lots of energy, set piece is excellent, brings a lot of experience to the squad.

"There'll be guys around there who will relish the fact that they get to work with Scott, but there's no doubt that Scott is here because he wants to play and we wouldn't have him unless he was desperate to be on the pitch."