Scottish Rugby

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

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When everybody at Glasgow Warriors - and at Murrayfield - talk vaguely, or not at all, when asked about Sione Tuipulotu's injury, you get a feeling that bad news is on the way.

All of Scotland waits with bated breath for the official prognosis.

Tuipulotu is one of the form inside-centres in the world game; a captain, a physical brute, an artist, an inspiration to his team. If he's missing some, or all, of the Six Nations then a chunk of optimism about Scotland's campaign is going to go with him.

His partnership with Huw Jones is a cosmic blend. Now it looks like an alternative is needed.

Jones and Tom Jordan does not pack enough physical punch. Franco Smith never plays them together at 12-13 for Glasgow.

Most likely, it is going to be another Warriors pair, Stafford McDowall and Jones, in the midfield in the championship.

That is still a forceful and dynamic unit, but the potential loss of the big man is a nightmare on many fronts.

As for Tuipulotu's fitness for the Lions, let us just presume that whatever time he misses in the Six Nations he will still have time enough to get himself roaring again for the summer in Australia.

What was your reaction to the news that Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu is an injury doubt for the upcoming Six Nations?

How do you think his absence would affect Scotland's chances, and who would you pick to replace him in the centres?

Have your say, external.

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Edinburgh have made six changes from the side that beat Vannes last week for this Sunday's Challenge Cup match against Black Lion at Hive Stadium.

Lewis Wells, 22, replaces Duhan van der Merwe - who has a minor ankle knock - and makes his senior debut for the club.

Charlie Shiel is the only other change to the back line, with Ali Price dropping to the bench.

In the forwards, Paddy Harrison and Paul Hill start in the front row in place of Dave Cherry and Javan Sebastian, while Tom Dodd and Magnus Bradbury come into the back row with Jamie Ritchie and Ben Muncaster not involved.

A win against the Georgian outfit would guarantee Edinburgh a home tie in the last 16.

"Sunday's match is vital for us," head coach Sean Everitt said. "To go deep into this tournament, we want to ensure as many of our matches in the knockouts are at home, so we need to put ourselves in the position to do that.

"I'm happy for Lewis. He's earned his spot in the team, but we know it will be a fierce contest against Black Lion. They're arriving with a point to prove, so we'll need to be at our best."

Edinburgh XV to face Black Lion: Goosen, Graham, Currie, Lang, Wells, Healy, Shiel; Shoeman, Harrison, Hill, Sykes, Skinner, Dodd, Crosbie, Bradbury.

Replacements: Ashman, Venter, Sebastian, Young, Watson, Price, Thompson, M. Tuipulotu.

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Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith has made five changes from the win over Racing 92 for Saturday's Champions Cup match at Harlequins.

Euan Ferrie replaces Gregor Brown in the second row, while Jack Dempsey makes his first club appearance since October, preferred to Jack Mann at number eight.

In the backs, Jamie Dobie comes in for George Horne at scrum-half, and there are starts for Stafford McDowall and Kyle Rowe in place of Sione Tuipulotu and Kyle Steyn.

Glasgow could still top Pool 4 and secure a home quarter-final should they get there, but need to better Toulon's result against Sale on Sunday.

"We know that Harlequins will pose probably our toughest test of the pool stage tomorrow night," Smith said.

"They have proved against the Stormers that they are an incredibly difficult team to beat at home, so we need to continue our own progress and focus on our own performance.

"They also have a proud record in front of their home supporters, and we look forward to the challenge that awaits us tomorrow night."

Glasgow XV to face Harlequins: McKay, Cancelliere, Jones, McDowall, Rowe, Jordan, Dobie; Sutherland, Matthews, Z. Fagerson, Ferrie, Cummings, M. Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.

Replacements: Hiddleston, Bhatti, Talakai, Samuel, Brown, Venter, Afshar, Weir.

BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering some of your Scottish rugby questions.

Peter asked: Some of the chat at Scotstoun was the possibility of Scottish-qualified 10 Dan Lancaster being a possibility for next season at Glasgow. He would perhaps fit in with David Nucifora's policy but would he be good enough?

Tom answered: I haven't seen much to suggest Lancaster is the replacement for Tom Jordan at Glasgow. He's young, but he's bounced around a bit and hasn't become the starting 10 anywhere. He's at Racing now, obviously. Would he be there if his father wasn't the head coach? Doubtful.

Glasgow definitely need a new 10. Adam Hastings is excellent, but he's dogged by injury. Duncan Weir is one step away from taking to the field with a zimmer frame. And it's kids apart from that.

I'd look to have a look at young Richie Simpson, but even still, they need another 10. Losing Jordan for next season was an absolute calamity. Replacing him is going to be brutally hard.

Jonty asked: Are you aware of any moves or even a desire to reinstate the Scotland Sevens programme? It helped a fair few current internationals on the way when it was up and running and it's disappointing to see teams like Uruguay and Spain managing to fund a team when we can't.

Tom answered: Money's so tight at the SRU that I'd be amazed if there were any plans afoot as regards the Sevens programme.

Edinburgh and Glasgow are both taking a cut to their budgets next season, so that shows there's not much in the kitty. As performance director, Nucifora will want a vibrant Sevens scene but the SRU need to generate a whole lot more money to get it done in a meaningful way.

We asked for your views on the Scotland squad announced by Gregor Townsend for the upcoming Six Nations.

Here's what some of you said:

Douglas: Aside from the Johnny Matthews exclusion, it's finally a team that can start to settle as a unit, with the same names coming back. No more wild card inclusions or revolving door of new names, the famous Toonie Tombola is over, for now. The question of where we end the Six Nations? The dream? Win the whole lot! The reality? Anywhere from second to fourth.

Steven: Pretty happy with the selections made from those that are fit. Kyle Steyn would have made the squad if not for injury, hopefully he'll recover in time to play some part. Much made of Matthews' omission but Scotland will not dominate mauls like Glasgow can in the URC and his stats in defence look like the main reason he's not made the cut.

Jordan: Some very interesting omissions from the second row, most notably Cameron Henderson, who has been playing consistently well for an improved Tigers team. The inclusion of Marshall Sykes over the likes of Henderson, Alex Craig, Alex Samuel and even Jare Oguntibeju and Ewan Johnson is strange in my opinion.

Paul: Settled squad and first team. Scott Cummings' partner in the second row is about the only debatable position. Real shame about the injuries to Steyn and Max Williamson. I would have started Steyn against Ireland - I don't think any side plays Duhan van der Merwe better than Ireland. Let's hope Glasgow's winning mentality translates to the national squad and this is our year.

John: Feel like Tom Jordan deserves a start at 10 in at least one game, and the Scotland vs Italy fixture is the perfect one. He's coming off a cracking run with Glasgow, why break up the Warriors half/centre team - extra time for Finn Russell to bed back in and keeps him fresh for Ireland. Rest Jordan for Ireland, Fergus Burke on the bench, then Jordan back-up for England.

Arran: Think it's a good mix of experience and youth, with the likes of Jonny Gray back with tonnes of experience but also some new exciting players who've been performing well like Jack Mann. Really excited for Burke, even if he doesn't play, an exciting option for the future and he'll learn lots being in the camp! Hopeful for this year!

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend joins Tom English and Andy Burke to discuss his Six Nations squad selection.

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Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Gregor Townsend says Finn Russell will have many more opportunities to win silverware for Scotland and believes the fly-half can play at the top level for years to come.

At 32 years old, and with 82 international appearances to his name, Russell is one of the most experienced players in the national squad for the upcoming Six Nations.

But Townsend sees no signs the Bath pivot is entering the twilight of his career.

"Physically, he's in probably better condition now than he was two or three years ago," the Scotland head coach said on the BBC'S Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"He seems in a great spot. Players are playing football now much longer, they're looking after themselves and I see the same with Finn.

"We want to win more than just matches, we want to win titles. He's a big part of that and he's still got a lot of rugby ahead of him."

Despite being one of the leading players in the game for over a decade, Russell has only a solitary medal to his name – Glasgow's Pro12 title victory in 2015.

"He's contributed to so many great victories and great moments for our supporters and for our team," Townsend added.

"Those are some of the best days he'll have in his career, being in the Scotland jersey. The next stage is that after five games in a row there's a title at the end of it.

"It's tough. If winning titles was easy, everybody would be doing it. We just have to make sure that we play to our potential, play as close to our best as we can.

"There's no reason that's not going to lead to a successful season if we're able to do that."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Head coach Gregor Townsend has been speaking to the media after he announced his Scotland squad for the upcoming Six Nations championship.

Here's a taste of what he had to say:

• ⁠Townsend spoke about what incoming Saracens fly-half Fergus Burke will bring to the Scotland set-up.

• The head coach said he was delighted to have Jonny Gray back in the squad after the second-row pulled out of the Autumn Nations squad, and said Gray is "going really well for Bordeaux".

• ⁠⁠When asked if it's now or never to win a Six Nations, Townsend replied "you only get so many championships".

• He wants as many Scots as possible on the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour to Australia in the summer.

• The head coach ⁠wouldn't say if he wants to be part of the touring Lions coaching staff again but no discussions have taken place with Lions head coach Andy Farrell.

Fergus Burke and Jack Mann receive their first call-ups to the Scotland squad, but there is no place for Johnny Matthews or the injured Kyle Steyn.

The omissions are notable, if not glaring, while there are rewards for Glasgow's fine form in Gregor Brown, Jamie Dobie and Tom Jordan.

What do you make of Scotland's Six Nations squad then? Has Gregor Townsend got it right, or has someone been left off the list?

How big a blow is losing Kyle Steyn to injury for the first few weeks of the tournament?

Let us know your thoughts. , external

BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering your Scottish rugby questions before Gregor Townsend announces his Six Nations squad on Wednesday.

Mark asked: Where do Scotland sit in regards to the Six Nations, are we ready to kick on? And is there a wildcard player who could come in and make a difference or shake the squad up?

Tom answered: The Six Nations squad is getting announced on Wednesday, so we'll know the full picture as regards to wildcards, if any, pretty soon.

I'd certainly like to see Fergus Burke in there. Finn Russell and Tom Jordan are the only fit and viable 10s in my opinion and Russell is 32 now. Burke is an excellent footballer and he's doing well at Saracens. England haven't named him in their squad so Scotland need to grab this opportunity to secure a young-ish 10 for the future.

I've been getting mixed messages on whether Jonny Gray is making himself available for the Six Nations. I'd love to see him back on the basis that you can't have too many warriors. Max Williamson, if he was fit, would be playing a big part in the championship, I think. Hopefully we'll see him at some point.

Gregor Townsend might throw in one or two bolters, but the squad is so settled at this stage it's hard to see how they'll make an impact. You could almost name the 23 for Italy right now, injuries permitting.

Alan asked: How do you think professionalisation of rugby has impacted the success, or lack of success, of the Scotland rugby team? Is success more than winning Championships?

Tom answered: The game going professional was bad news for Scotland. Under the individual and collective reigns of Jim Telfer and Ian McGeechan, Scotland were among the fittest, best-drilled and hardest teams in the world because the two legends made it so.

Few countries had a brains-trust like those two and few countries had players who were prepared to do the things that Telfer insisted the Scottish boys do. They were savagely effective.

Professionalism took away Scotland's advantage. Suddenly, everybody had time to be fitter, faster, stronger and they had the desire to work harder than ever before because it was now their livelihood.

Is success more than winning championships? Yes and no.

Scotland could win four of five in the Six Nations this season and finish second. That's success to me. Not ultimate success, but success nonetheless. I think Scotland have reached a point now, though, where they are entitled to look on a championship win as the only thing that really represents success. It's been a long road.

The squad is very, very good. In certain positions, it's totally world class. The backline as a whole is among the best in the world. So, second would be really impressive, but first is not out of the question. That's the goal.

Sandy Smith
Fan writer

First up let me say in the spirit of BBC's Holiday programme, what a great town Vannes is.

Friendly, picturesque and well worth a visit. Their ground Stade De La Rabine has a stunning entrance and if you haven't been, look it up.

They are mad for their rugby club and as I explored the town, loads of locals said hello and wished us bonne chance.

And on the day we took the chance.

It started out like it was going to be straightforward as we scored two early tries , but at the end we were hanging on to a four-point margin.

It was a huge effort. The top eight tacklers in the game were all Edinburgh players and Vannes dominated the territory and the possession. The Breton side were big and powerful but the flair all came from the men in orange. Yes, you read that right.

There wasn't a single article before this game that didn't highlight the fact that Vannes are bottom of the Pro14. That has to be seen through the optic of that league being one of the toughest around and Edinburgh haven't exactly been setting the heather alight on the road this season, so I'd be wary of dismissing this narrow victory.

Instead, let's focus on the five points gained and the fact that we are top of pool three going into the last game of the group stages.

Fun fact, readers: Three games into Edinburgh's Challenge Cup campaign and we have scored 13 tries. All of them have come from the backline. Not one forward try.

Which leads neatly to our next game against the Richard Cockerill led side, Black Lion.

The Tbilisi-based side who are a sort of Georgian Barbarians are bottom of pool three and in keeping with stereotypes, three of the four tries they have scored in their games have come from forwards.

It's worth noting that they have scored 56 points in their three games and 30 of those points have come from penalties. Discipline, people.

Cockers return to Edinburgh, Black Lion's poor record and Edinburgh's ability to throw a spanner into our own works could point to the kind of upset that the bookies might dread, but I'm hopeful that our home form, a noisy crowd at the Hive and the prospect of a home tie in the round of 16 will be enough to keep everyone focussed.

The outcome is entirely in our own hands which is a luxury we need to capitalise on.

Sandy Smith can be found at The Burgh Watch, external

Grant Young
Fan writer

Another milestone ticked off by this history-making squad as the result, and others across the weekend, confirmed Glasgow would have a home time in the Champions Cup round of 16.

When you look at the calibre of teams in the competition, that's a pretty big step forward Warriors have taken from recent seasons.

Franco Smith set out his team confident of a result and my golly, did Glasgow come out in the first half.

It was video game rugby the way the ball was zipping round. Confidence was oozing and it seemed Warriors would cross the line every time they attacked.

From the second minute, when George Horne - now European leading try scorer for the Warriors crossed the line, the floodgates were firmly open. Glasgow tore the Parisians to shreds.

Glasgow were running away with it when a bulldozing Sione Tuipulotu - who has had nearly every word in the dictionary used to describe how incredibly he has performed this season - sliced cleanly through to touch down try number four.

For 60 minutes Glasgow were brilliant, Rory Darge scored a fifth early in the second half to cap a brilliant ¾ of the game.

But, if there's one question mark over Glasgow, it's their inability to dominate for the full 80 minutes. They have a tendency to slightly step off the gas.

Racing came into the game and for the first time, showed a little tempo themselves. A cynical, almost tired, hand in the ruck meant Matt Fagerson missed the final 10 minutes with an avoidable yellow. This galvanised the French side, who within four minutes of being a man up, had scored two tries. The defence looked tired in the end but held together as Glasgow ran out 10 point victors.

The midfield duo of Huwipulotu continue to cause every team issues.

Once deemed unimpactful as a defender, Huw Jones is incredible. Both he and Tuipulotu are the ticking heartbeat to the defence and it is no wonder that both are being spoken of for Lions inclusion.

After Champions Cup victories for both Glasgow and Edinburgh, we are offering you the chance to throw questions at our rugby writers Tom English and Andy Burke.

Send them in via this link, external and they will be answered on this page later in the week.

Lewis Irons
BBC Scotland Sports Presenter

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Glasgow Warriors back-rower Matt Fagerson insists it would be "massive" if their Champions Cup round of 16 home match was to be played at Hampden.

The 26-year-old enjoyed the "incredible atmosphere" at the national football stadium last month in the first leg of the 1872 Cup.

Franco Smith's side have secured a home tie in this round of the European competition the first time, which Fagerson said was "the goal".

"We set out this year with the goal to do well in Europe, so to do it with one game in hand is massive for us," he said while previewing Saturday's trip down south to take on Harlequins.

"It's a great achievement but we know we have one more big game to play down in London, so all eyes are on that at the moment.

"It would be massive if we could play at Hampden. When we played there it was an incredible atmosphere, 30,000-odd fans there from Glasgow – I think it was the biggest we've ever had.

"Hopefully we can do that every year [in the 1872 Cup] and if it comes to these knockout games, doing it at a place like Hampden would be brilliant.

"The Hampden staff were awesome, we had our branding all over the place and we could hear the fans – hopefully we'd get the weather next time! But if we could do that again, it would be brilliant."

Fagerson added confidence is high among the Warriors group who are still beaming from their URC success last season.

"The confidence we got from winning the league last year means this group is full of internal confidence," he added.

"To come away with a win in the round of 16 would be huge, but again though, this weekend is our only focus.

"There's a big difference between confidence and arrogance. Internal confidence is great and every club needs that. If you don't go out there thinking you can win then why are you going out on the pitch?

"There's a great buzz around the group at the minute and a great culture that we've driven over these last two or three years since Franco Smith came in. I think we're all excited."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Sensational Sione continues to shine

It's becoming difficult to come up with anything original to say about Sione Tuipulotu. The centre has been playing at such a high level for such a long time and influencing just about every game he plays in.

He set the tone inside 30 seconds against Racing, bursting through a tackle and breaking from deep to get Glasgow immediately on the front foot.

Tuipulotu said after the match he was determined to be better this year than he was in 2024. If he accomplishes that then we will see something very special.

The Scotland captain is in outstanding form heading into the Six Nations and his midfield partner Huw Jones looked razor sharp in attack too.

Us Scots are reluctant to build up anybody too much, but with Tuipulotu playing the way he is, you can't help but hop aboard the hype train.

Horne makes history

George Horne was not on the pitch for long – he failed to reappear after departing for a head injury assessment - but he still managed to create a bit of history during his limited appearance.

His opening try saw him move out on his own as Glasgow's all-time top try-scorer in European competition.

Horne's strike-rate has been astonishing for a long time now. He has redefined the art of the scrum-half support line and his anticipation of when a chance might present itself is second to none.

His try took him onto 51 for Warriors, three shy of DTH van der Merwe's club record. Surely it's only a matter of time…

Cancelliere – Glasgow's Mr Dependable

When you watch Glasgow, the eye is perhaps drawn to the explosiveness of Sione Tuipulotu or the guile of Huw Jones, but the consistent excellence of Sebastian Cancelliere is no less impressive.

The Argentine winger is one of Warriors greatest ever foreign signings. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time and has that happy knack of coming up with big tries in big games, as he did against Racing.

He popped up with crucial tries against the Stormers in the quarter-final and Munster in the semi-final as Warriors swept to the URC title last season.

Other stars may grab the headlines, but Glasgow would not be the force they are without the dependable Cancelliere.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Signs of attack sharpening up

The big criticism of Sean Everitt's team in recent times has been the lack of spark in attack, but there were signs against Vannes that when it clicks, Edinburgh do have the tools to hurt teams.

Darcy Graham, unsurprisingly, was at the heart of a lot of Edinburgh's best moments. He was instrumental in a wonderful third try, linking up with James Lang who then set Ali Price free to score.

It was a terrific move, the kind that a team with so many exciting runners produces far too infrequently.

Everitt must find a way to embolden his creative players to express themselves more. Edinburgh will be better for it.

Soft defence a cause for concern

If the attack is showing encouraging signs of improvement, some of the defence on show against Vannes was a real concern.

Salesi Rayasi time and again was able to blast through a succession of soft shoulders, while Tani Vili was able to do likewise for his try in the second half.

Everitt and his players spoke after the 1872 Cup victory over Glasgow at Murrayfield about how the standard had been set in terms of aggression and discipline in defence. They fell well short of that against Vannes.

Edinburgh got away with it against an inexperienced side, but they won't when they take on the top teams in the URC and at the business end of the Challenge Cup, should they make it there.

Price gives Townsend food for thought

Ali Price has found himself slipping down the Scotland pecking order in the last couple of years with the fine form of Ben White and George Horne and the emergence of Jamie Dobie.

Eyebrows were raised when Price was selected to start the first of the autumn Tests against Fiji, with Townsend saying he was the form Scottish scrum-half. He saw no further action in that series.

Against Vannes, Price showed flashes of his old self, especially in the first half when he scored two tries off good support lines after firing a lovely pass out to Wes Goosen for the opening try.

White's consistency and control, Horne's tempo and goalkicking and Dobie's speed and versatility means forcing his way to the front of the scrum-half queue is going to be tough, but Townsend has always been Price's biggest fan and he will have taken note of his good moments against Vannes as the head coach gets set to name his squad for the Six Nations on Wednesday.

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Glasgow Warriors have secured a home tie in the Champions Cup round of 16 for the first time.

Franco Smith's side had already booked their spot in the knockout stages following Friday's 29-19 win over Racing 92 at Scotstoun.

But results since then mean they will also have home advantage in the next stage.

Harlequins' 33-21 defeat away to Toulon on Sunday means the English side cannot now catch Warriors, who sit second in Pool 4, one point behind the French outfit.

Glasgow will therefore head to London on Saturday for their final group game assured of progress but with their hosts level with Stormers and Sale and only a point ahead of Racing in the race to finish third or fourth in the section in order to progress.

Bordeaux-Begles, Toulouse, Leinster, Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers have also already qualified from their sections.