Simon Webster’s ankle injury will be only a minor concern for Frank Hadden as the Scotland head coach considers making changes for next Saturday’s Murrayfield clash with Italy.
Edinburgh wing Webster was taken off the field on a stretcher during Friday night’s Magners League defeat against Munster and may now miss out on the third RBS 6 Nations match of Scotland’s season.
News of the 25-year-old was not what Hadden would have wanted to hear, but Scotland have a handful of other key players returning to action after lengthy lay-offs. In any case, Webster has only made one appearance off the bench so far in the Six Nations campaign.
During the first half of the season Hadden watched on as Craig Smith, Scott Lawson, Nathan Hines, Johnnie Beattie, Allister Hogg, Donnie Macfadyen, Jason White, Chris Cusiter, Mike Blair, Rob Dewey and also Webster, earlier in the campaign, suffered long-term injuries.
Each player on the list ranks as a serious contender for a starting spot in Hadden’s team, and Scotland are ill-resourced to deal with such a long list of casualties.
However, Scotland’s victory over Wales last Saturday was an unprecedented second match in a row in which none of Hadden’s men sustained anything more than a few bumps and bruises – and he is also benefiting from the injured players returning to full match fitness.
Hadden said: “We’ve still got injury problems, but it’s great when guys like Ally Hogg and Nathan Hines come back and start putting pressure on the players who have been in the side to raise the bar.
“Mike Blair should be back before the end of the championship, I’m not entirely sure when, but it’s great to have these sorts of guys up your sleeve.”
Hadden will face a pleasant selection dilemma when he sits down to pick his team to play Italy next Saturday. He names the side on Tuesday morning.
Scotland’s injury problems have forced Hadden to expose more players to international rugby than he might have managed otherwise – thus creating a level of competition for places which has been missing in recent seasons.
“I’m not sure if I have ever picked the same team for two matches in a row – I maybe have once,” said Hadden.
“But there is no doubt that the competition for places I keep talking about is applying heat to players, and forcing them out of their comfort zone.
“Ten years ago there was a lot less pressure than we are generating at the moment to force guys to perform.
“We’ve got a lot to consider on the back of a good performance from our lads against Wales last weekend and also a good performance from the Italians against England.
“The first thing we will do when we sit down to pick the team is look for the guys who will win the game, but there also longer-term considerations as well.”
Hadden does not subscribe to the theory that a winning team should always be retained.
He said: “I think it is possible to keep the same approach and the same winning attitude, with one or two alterations that don’t upset the balance and the rhythm that this side is trying to generate.”
