Return for Glasgow Warriors offers Adam Ashe chance to shine

Adam Ashe is set for his firrat appearance after recovering from an ankle injury. Picture: SNS.

As Dave Rennie pointed out, several players have a point to prove and chief among them is breakaway Adam Ashe who, it seems, has barely laced a boot in anger these last few seasons.

His latest injury was to ankle ligaments against the same opposition last November and this is his first start since then, nicely timed just ahead of Gregor Townsend’s first ever Six Nations squad.

“It doesn’t always go to plan and that was the case back in October time,” says the phlegmatic No.8. “I guess I’ve had my fair share of injuries and you just roll with it, get yourself back on the pitch.

“I never actually knew the (Scotland squad) team was getting announced on Tuesday but I’m back training fully with the (Glasgow) team, played 60 minutes (last) weekend (off the bench), so here’s hoping I get some good time at the weekend and then from there we’ll see what happens.”

Glasgow’s forward pack is especially young and callow, with just 313 Warriors’ caps between them against 783 for today’s opposition, and while he is just 24 years old himself Ashe is playing nurse maid to two flankers today in Matt Smith and Matt Fagerson who are even less experienced than he is.

“We were kind of joking about that. I said to the two other back-rowers there, ‘I’m like the old wise man in here and I’m only bloody 24 years old,’ so it’s nice to be playing with two young spring chickens, two really athletic players and it’s going to be exciting. I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s the first time I’ve played with both of them at the same time, so it’s going to be good.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to get out there and play one of the best teams in Europe at the moment and show what we can do and what we’re all about. It’s what we love doing, so everybody’s looking forward to getting out there and having a good crack at it.”