Gloucester await news on Hastings’ injury status
GLOUCESTER’S first-choice fly-half Adam Hastings is currently undergoing scans with a specialist on an injured knee, head coach George Skvinington has confirmed.
Hastings, who started at fly-half in Scotland’s 28-12 win over Fiji at BT Murrayfield on Saturday, had an eventful game scoring a try after a delicious dummy before being withdrawn early in the second half with a head knock and knee injury.
He then returned to Gloucester for assessment.
Discussing the fly-half’s fitness in his midweek press conference yesterday, ahead of the Cherry and Whites’ Round 10 Gallagher Premiership game against Newcastle Falcons at Kingsholm on Saturday, Skivington said: “He took a bang, he is having scans and seeing specialists and all that type of stuff this week.
“All I know is he is going through that process this week. I should hope by Thursday at the latest I will have all that information and know where he stands.
“He is certainly not going to play this weekend and if he is out of the Scottish campaign I expect he will just come back to us and get treated here.”
Finn Russell has been brought in to replace Hastings for Scotland, while Skivington said should he receive bad news about the fly-half’s injury then he is content with his alternative options at stand-off, especially with Santiago Carreras the man in possession of the number 10 jersey for Argentina who beat England 30-29 in a famous win over England at Twickenham on Sunday.
Skivington, inset, has repeatedly insisted he does not see Carreras as a fly-half in cherry and white but he is some option to have in his pocket if needed.
Skivington said: “We are okay for depth a fly-half, I thought Lloyd had a really good game at 10 against Sale, we have got George Barton in the building as well and Billy Twelvetrees can play 10 as well.
“Santi Carreras is obviously playing 10 as well for Argentina. I am not concerned at all about cover for 10 but Adam has been going really well, there has been a good dynamic there and fingers crossed Adam will be okay.”
He added: “We will pick whoever is right to play 10 as and when, you can only hope you have got as many fit players as you can to choose from.”