Gilchrist banned for Scotland’s opener in Cardiff

yellow cards in the match, both for dangerous tackles.

His disciplinary case was dealt with by an independent judicial officer, Gareth Graham of England, who found that both tackles warranted yellow cards.

Gilchrist accepted the charge and co-operated with the disciplinary process but Graham felt mitigation could not be applied and issued a one-week suspension. With no club game for Edinburgh this weekend, the ban is applied to Scotland’s game in Cardiff on February 3.

Gilchrist, who is a regular starter for Scotland, will be free to play in the next Six Nations match, against France at Murrayfield on February 10. Both the player and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.

Fraser Brown, Pages 54-55

Hearts manager Steven Naismith has backed Craig Halkett to return to the levels that earned him a Scotland call-up after the defender signed a contract extension.

The former Livingston defender has committed his future to Tynecastle until the summer of 2026.

The 28-year-old has scored ten goals in 116 appearances for Hearts despite being hit by bad luck with injuries.

Halkett returned to action last month following almost a year out with cruciate ligament damage.

Naismith told Hearts' website: "It's another bit of really positive news that Halks has signed a new contract to stay at the club.

"Aside from his obvious ability, he's a leader and well-respected inside the dressing room.

"He had a torrid time of it last season with injuries and you could see that his presence on the pitch was missed as the team went through a tough period.

"I'm delighted he's back in the first-team picture and getting more and more minutes under his belt.

"His form prior to his injuries was excellent, which was proven with a Scotland call-up, and I'm confident that Halks will be able to reach those levels again as he works back to full fitness. From there, he'll get better and better as we continue a busy run of games."

Sporting director Joe Savage is working on more contract extensions after Halkett followed the likes of Alan Forrest in signing a new deal. "We've been working really hard to get these deals done, so I'm really happy to get another over the line," Savage said. “The dialogue with other players continues.” Football, Pages 51-53