Rejuvenated Swinson times his return to perfection in the Calcutta Cup

Tim Swinson could not have chosen a better moment to make his comeback more dramatic.

Nearly four months after injuring his hand playing for Scotland against Samoa, he returned to action for Glasgow Warriors – and eight days later was in the team that won the Calcutta Cup for the first time in a decade.

What is more, besides the opportune timing of his return, the 31-year-old second row has come back rejuvenated by his spell on the sidelines and ready to give his all for both club and country as the Six Nations and Pro14 each reach their climactic stages.

“It was delightful – the first Christmas without rugby in my career,” said Swinson. “It’s the longest time I’ve had off since I was 17, which is pretty nice.

“I’m exceptionally lucky. I managed to return from my injury a couple of weeks early to play for Glasgow against the Cheetahs.

“I played quite well there. It gave me a lot of confidence that I was put back on to the [Scotland] bench, which is no mean feat considering the team’s been playing so well, especially in the game against France.

“But it was a fantastic game to be involved in. As a game to go into there was a little bit of pressure, but it’s easy, good