Sione Tuipulotu Scotland Six Nations blow as fellow Glasgow Warrior suffers 'freak injury' in gym

Key back will not need operation but is likely to be back in action by May

Sione Tuipulotu will play no further part in this season’s Guinness Six Nations after being ruled out for eight to 12 weeks with a knee injury sustained in Scotland’s win over England last weekend.

The Glasgow Warriors centre hurt his knee during the first half of the match at Murrayfield but was able to play on, helping create the first try of Duhan van der Merwe’s hat-trick. However, he had to concede defeat early in the second half and was replaced by Cameron Redpath.

His club had said earlier this week that there was an “outside chance” of Tuipulotu returning for Scotland’s final Six Nations match against Ireland but results of a scan have dashed that hope, confirming that he had suffered medial collateral ligament damage.

Dr James Robson attends to Scotland centre Sione Tuipulotu's knee injury during the Guinness Six Nations match against England at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on February 24, 2024. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

“He’s got an MCL injury,” said Franco Smith, the Glasgow head coach. “I won’t use all medical terms but it’ll keep him off around eight to 12 weeks. It all depends on how the first reaction to treatment is. There’s no operation needed, though.”

While Tuipulotu will miss Scotland’s remaining Six Nations games against Italy on March 9 and Ireland a week later, Smith is confident the player will return for Glasgow before the United Rugby Championship play-offs which are scheduled for June. The Warriors coach also hopes Richie Gray will be available from around then. Smith expects the second-row forward to fully fit again in mid-May as he works his way back from the bicep injury he sustained against Wales in Cardiff.

Glasgow return to URC action on Saturday against Benetton in Treviso but will be without Jamie Bhatti after a weight fell on the Scotland prop’s foot in what Smith called a “freakish accident” in the gym.

“Unfortunately there was a weight misplaced that caught the top of his foot,” said the coach. “There’s nothing broken or serious but there’s a lot of pain. We just thought that in consideration for Scotland next week then for him to run awkwardly and not bear his full strength then he’d be better to be ready for next week and the couple of weeks Scotland have left.”