Scotland prop Zander Fagerson in isolation under Covid-19 protocols

Tighthead and back-rower Tom Gordon not involved for Glasgow Warriors trip to Connacht in Guinness Pro14 opener

Zander Fagerson at Scotstoun on Wednesday for the unveiling of the new Glasgow Warrior playing kits. Picture: SRU/SNS

Scotland prop Zander Fagerson and Glasgow Warriors team-mate Tom Gordon are in isolation under Covid-19 regulations and will not travel for the opening match of the Guinness Pro14 season against Connacht in Galway tomorrow evening.

A Warriors announcement said: “Tom Gordon and Zander Fagerson are unavailable for selection for the upcoming game in order to comply with the necessary Scottish Government Covid-19 isolation protocols and to protect the medical integrity of the wider squad.”

Tighthead Fagerson, 24, has 29 caps for Scotland while 23-year-old New Zealand-born back-rower Gordon has broken into the senior ranks at Scotstoun over the past year.

Head coach Danny Wilson has named 17 internationalists in his 23-man squad for the trip to the west of Ireland. Club co-captains Ryan Wilson and Fraser Brown are both selected in the starting XV, a, while Scott Cummings and Rob Harley are paired together in the second-row.

Zander’s younger brother Matt Fagerson packs down at No 8, with the experienced duo of Wilson and Chris Fusaro starting on the flanks.

Wing Robbie Nairn is handed a first start for Glasgow Warriors since the opening match of the 2019/20 season against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, as the former Scotland Under-20 joins Tommy Seymour and Huw Jones in the back three.

New signing Fotu Lokotui is in line to make his club debut after being named on the bench, while veteran Richie Gray completes the pack replacements.

Glasgow Warriors team (to play Connacht in the Guinness Pro14, Saturday 3 August, kick-off 5.15pm, live on Premier Sports 1, Glasgow Warriors appearances in brackets)

1. Oli Kebble (49)

2. Fraser Brown (C) (100)

3. D’arcy Rae (71)

4. Rob Harley (232)

5. Scott Cummings (70)

6. Ryan Wilson (170)

7. Chris Fusaro (179)

8. Matt Fagerson (63)

9. Ali Price (88)

10. Adam Hastings (44)

11. Robbie Nairn (10)

12. Stafford McDowall (21)

13. Nick Grigg (71)

14. Tommy Seymour (144)

15. Huw Jones (37)

SUBS

16. George Turner (49)

17. Aki Seiuli (11)

18. Enrique Pieretto (1)

19. Richie Gray (48)

20. Fotu Lokotui (0)

21. George Horne (57)

22. Pete Horne (171)

23. Ratu Tagive (13)

Unavailable for selection: Sam Johnson, Lee Jones, Sean Kennedy, Kiran McDonald, Kyle Steyn.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director