Returning Glasgow star to play first match in a year with appearance for ‘Emerging Scotland’

Scotland and Glasgow full-back Ollie Smith is set to play his first match in a year this weekend when he turns out for ‘Emerging Scotland’ against Italy.

The 24-year-old has been sidelined since rupturing knee ligaments in his club’s Champions Cup pool-stage match away to Bayonne on December 15 last year.

Smith has not featured for Glasgow since recovering from his injury but has been released by head coach Franco Smith to make his long-awaited comeback for Scotland’s under-23 side against their Italian counterparts at Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium on Saturday.

Ollie Smith, pictured in Glasgow Warriors training last week, has been called up for the Emerging Scotland side. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group

The back has nine caps for Scotland and went to the 2023 World Cup as Gregor Townsend’s second-choice full-back.

His Warriors team-mates Kyle Rowe and Tom Jordan have become more prominent on the international scene during his injury-enforced absence this year and will provide stiff competition as Smith bids to force his way back into contention for the upcoming Six Nations.

Smith made the step up to international rugby at the age of 21 when making his Scotland debut in the third Test against Argentina in July 2022.

“We’ve got high expectations of Ollie because of the way he’s been training and playing this year for Glasgow,” said Townsend at the time. “I think he’s shown this year on the playing field his proactive nature. The way he plays, he takes the game to the opposition with ball in hand, he’s an aggressive defender. He’s a young player too. He was part of that under-20s group from two seasons ago, along with Rory Darge, Ewan Ashman, Rufus McLean. So there’s a big future ahead of him and we’ve been really impressed with what he’s done over the last 12 months.”