Scotland pair Fraser Brown and Zander Fagerson close to comebacks

Stand-off Adam Hastings has a game of football at Oriam, part of a training session as Scotlands rugby squad prepare to host Italy. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

This Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations opener at home to Italy may come too soon for the Glasgow Warriors pair but as they rejoined the squad at the Oriam training base, Taylor made positive noises about two players who would be welcome returnees to provided much-needed options in the front row.

“I think Glasgow have done an excellent job with the rehab and keeping them fit,” said the defence coach of Brown, who is recovering from a knee injury and Fagerson, who has an ankle promblem.

“We’re very conscious of player welfare and their wellbeing and we only bring them in and have them participating if they’re ready to go. Because it’s such a professional environment, they’re really tested quite heavily [at their clubs] around their injury before we involve them. Sometimes guys come in from a long injury and only do part sessions, just being around the squad.

“We may or may not put them in, it depends on the guys we’ve got, so it’s decisions in and around that, whether they start, whether they are a bench player, that type of thing. Both those guys may be involved in training this week but in the scheme of things.”

Glasgow wing Rory Hughes,

young centre Stafford McDowall and experienced Edinburgh scrum-half Henry Pyrgos were added to the Six Nations squad by head coach Gregor Townsend yesterday.

The Glasgow trio of flanker

Matt Smith, centre Alex Dunbar and lock Rob Harley – who were added to the squad last week – have been released back to the club. Smith injured his shoulder in his club’s 9-3 win over Ospreys at Scotstoun, while wing Lee Jones sustained a knee injury, with further news on his

prognosis due in the coming days.

“There’s always a few niggles, so it’s good to bring a couple of guys in to help with training,” added Taylor.