Six Nations boost for Scots after ‘positive’ news on Darge injury

Glasgow Warriors and Scotland have received a significant boost with the news that Rory Darge’s knee injury is not as serious as feared and he remains on course to play a part in this year’s Guinness Six Nations.

Gregor Townsend will name his squad for the championship next week, with the Scots due to open their campaign against Wales away on February 3. The game in Cardiff may come too soon for Darge but the flanker is likely to come into contention soon after.

There were also positive updates on some of Glasgow’s other injured Scotland players, with Kyle Steyn, Jack Dempsey and Matt Fagerson all returning to training this week.

Darge, 23, had to come off in the 54th minute of the Warriors’ 19-14 defeat by Edinburgh at Murrayfield on December 30. His coach, Franco Smith, was pessimistic about the player’s prognosis immediately after the game but tests have revealed a strain to the medial collateral ligament rather than anything more serious.

“It was a pretty nasty-looking injury at the time and we feared the worst but thankfully all the tests have come back really positive, so it’s only a matter of weeks as opposed to a matter of months as first feared,” said Nigel Carolan, the Glasgow assistant coach. “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.”

It’s good news for Darge who has already had to contend with a couple of longterm injuries in his short but impressive career. He didn’t play in last year’s Six Nations due to a serious ankle injury sustained while playing for Glasgow against Cardiff but recovered to establish himself as Scotland’s first-choice openside at the World Cup.

He will miss Glasgow’s Investec Champions Cup matches against Exeter Chiefs this weekend and Toulon the following week but Carolan has not ruled out the possibility of him joining up with Scotland thereafter.

“With Darge, it is only a matter of weeks,” said the attack coach. “He will miss this week, possibly next week, but from the following week on, he will be close to a return.

“Jack Dempsey, if we can get him some game time… this

It was a pretty nasty-looking injury at the time. It’s only a mild strain on his MCL. Thankfully it’s not as bad as first feared Nigel Carolan