Rugby: Jon Welsh ruled out of remaining tour matches

Scotland’s successful Southern Hemisphere rugby tour suffered a hiccup today when once-capped prop Jon Welsh was ruled out of the remaining legs against Fiji and Samoa.

Welsh, 25, has suffered a recurrence of a shoulder injury and coach Andy Robinson immediately turned to his Glasgow colleague, Moray Low, as a replacement.

Low, who gained the last of his 15 caps against Italy just before the World Cup where he travelled to New Zealand without playing a match, is preparing to join up with the squad early next week in Fiji.

Meanwhile, flanker Alasdair Strokosch returned to training today following the head wound he sustained amidst the celebrations at the 9-6 victory over the Wallabies on Tuesday in Newcastle. Back Joe Ansbro (head wound) did not train today but swelling around his eye has receded.

Wing Sean Lamont, whose rib injury prompted a first cap for Edinburgh utility back Tom Brown against Australia, undertook a recovery session in a swimming pool while hooker Ross Ford did rehab running. Full-back Stuart Hogg also was rested from training today on account of mild tendonitis.

Scotland team doctor James Robson said of the injury to Jon Welsh, who debuted in Italy at the end of the last Six Nations series: “Jon has had problems with his shoulder and today during a relatively innocuous tackle technique exercise he sustained a shoulder subluxation, where the shoulder partially dislocated from the joint.”