‘Duncan Weir is playing the best rugby of his career’ - Townsend backs stand-off to fill the Finn Russell-Adam Hastings void

Finn Russell and Adam Hastings will both miss out on the whole of Scotland’s Nations Cup campaign after being injured in Saturday’s win against Wales.

The experienced Duncan Weir is ready to step up for Scotland. Picture: Craig Williamson / SNS

Glasgow stand-off Hastings needs shoulder surgery and is expected to be out until after next year’s Six Nations Championship, according to national coach Gregor Townsend.

The absence of the two men who have shared playmaker duties this year means that Duncan Weir, who was not in the matchday 23 for the game in Llanelli but has been training as part of the wider squad, will now probably start at stand-off against Italy next weekend.

James Lang, who started both the Wales and Georgia games at inside centre, will be back-up to Weir, having played at 10 for Harlequins in the past.

Finn Russell and Adam Hastings are both injured.

Jaco van der Walt of Edinburgh will come into consideration for later matches in the tournament once he is eligible and has completed the required isolation period on his return from his wedding in South Africa.

“Finn and Adam will be out of the squad for the whole of the autumn series,” Townsend announced. “Adam is likely to miss the Six Nations as well - he’ll have to have shoulder surgery as soon as possible.

“Finn has a groin abductor tear. He doesn’t require surgery following scans and meeting with his doctor as well as our doctors. We’re aiming for around two months. Now it could be a couple of weeks later, it could be a couple of weeks earlier, but two months is the target they have discussed.

“With Adam we were obviously hoping that the damage on his shoulder would not require an operation, because he was feeling good after the game. But there is sufficient damage in there that surgery is required. He will get that as soon as possible and he’ll be out for four months following that.

Adam Hastings was injured in Scotland's win over Wales and is a doubt for the Autumn Nations Cup.

“Finn hopefully will be back in plenty of time for the Six Nations. And Adam could still have a lot of rugby [this season] even if he misses the tail-end of the Six Nations.”

Captain Stuart Hogg moved up from full-back to 10 in the Wales game, but will revert to his normal position for Italy, with Townsend believing that Weir is in excellent form with Worcester. “Dunky is playing the best rugby of his career.

“I’ve worked with him for a long time and it has been really encouraging to see how well he has played pre-and post-lockdown. There is a calmness about the way he plays.

“He is so passionate about playing for Scotland. He will work hard and defend well, so this could be a big opportunity for him with those two injuries. I'm sure he’ll be doing all he can to grab it.”

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend and stand-off Finn Russell have rebuilt their relationship.

Townsend plans to announce a 35-man squad in the next couple of days for the Nations Cup, in which Scotland play France and Fiji at home after Italy away, then have a play-off on the final weekend. That means that several other players who were part of the training squad for Georgia and Wales will be omitted.

Sean Maitland, meanwhile, will return after being omitted from the squad last week following a breach of Covid protocols while on Barbarians duty.

Sam Hidalgo-Clyne will also be called up, joining Ali Price, Scott Steele and George Horne in a quartet of scrum-halves. Maitland and Hidalgo-Clyne will be the only two additions, according to the coach.