Richie Gray: In race to be fit
Scotland lock Richie Gray is in a race against time to be fit for Sunday's Test against New Zealand at Murrayfield.
Gray has been battling to overcome an ankle injury of late and was withdrawn from the Sale Sharks side which beat London Irish last weekend.
The 23-year-old missed Monday's training session and the Scottish Rugby Union confirmed that he "undertook an individual programme with the squad's medical team, following on from his ankle rehabilitation work over the last week."
New captain Kelly Brown also missed training because he played for Saracens against Wasps on Sunday, while Glasgow Warriors prop Gordon Reid trained with the national team due to numerous front-row troubles.
Scotland team manager Gavin Scott explained Reid's involvement with the squad.
"We've asked Gordon to train with us today as Kyle Traynor played for his club, Bristol, yesterday and will thus follow our usual protocol and not be training with the squad today," he said.
Coach Andy Robinson will name his team on Tuesday, and if Gray is sidelined it means there will be at least five changes from the side which beat Samoa in their last Test in June.
Centre Joe Ansbro and scrum-half Chris Cusiter are unavailable due to injury while number eight Richie Vernon did not make the initial squad and tighthead prop Euan Murray is not available due to religous reasons as the match falls on a Sunday.
Comments
rugby_rockstar says...
At least NZ haven't just played a test match against Australia 7 days earlier. Last time that happened poor under-prepared Scotland were slaughtered. I do think the SRU need to fight harder to get Scotland a more sympathetic start though. England and to a lesser extent Wales (the Pumas are tough) are favourite to win their first tests. Scotland are like a school boy who's been sent into a grizzly bear's cave with a plastic ruler and been told to flick it on the nose and see what happens. (true story that, happened to this cornish kid in Launceston... honest... Okay maybe I've embellished the story. The cave was a tree and the bear was a squirrel and ruler was a bit of string with a knot at one end... the squirrel was still bleedin' irate though! I mean how'd you like to be hit on the head continuously by a kid with a bit of string?!?) ;)
And that, boys and girls, is why New Zealand are better than Scotland at rugby.
Posted 10:47 06th November 2012
craigster99 says...
David Denton has a similar haircut, perhaps he could stand about behind rucks if Richie is unavailable.
Posted 09:32 06th November 2012
Jp07 says...
Obviously I want us to do well against the all blacks but we will lose so if he is going to miss any match this is the one to miss. We can beat the boks
Posted 08:06 06th November 2012
melkdave says...
I was hoping for better news on Grey tbh,that he is a very good player for Scotland and his ball carrying ability and tackles aswell as lineout work .Wouldnt be missed by any team isnt an issue,its do Scotland have a replacement for him if needed ??
Posted 20:37 05th November 2012