Six Nations: Op may mean end Rory Lawson’s season

World Cup rugby captain Rory Lawson has undergone surgery and as well as losing any possible chance of a return to Scottish ranks in the final leg of this RBS Six Nations Championship could be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Gloucester scrum half Rory, who led Scotland against Georgia and Argentina in the global tournament but hasn’t figured since, went under the knife for a groin problem earlier this week.

The injury is a consequence of damage sustained against Harlequins on the weekend that Scotland were going down against Wales in Cardiff.

It is a blow for Scotland not to have Lawson available in the event of anything untoward happening to the two players currently ahead of him in the queue – Mike Blair and Chris Cusiter with Greig Laidlaw currently operating at stand off but capped in the scrum half position also.

However, 30-year-old Lawson, who captained Heriot’s to a Scottish Cup triumph in his amateur days, is also being denied the chance to underline his value to Gloucester as he comes to the end of a contract.

Rehabilitation is expected to take around three months and after 151 appearances for Gloucester his future could now lie away from that club.

This raises intriguing possibilities given that Mike Blair is out of contract at Edinburgh although no announcement on his plans is expected until after the Six Nations.