There was mixed news for the Scotland team yesterday as Johnnie Beattie, the No 8 who has been out for six months after having his shoulder rebuilt, made an earlier than planned return to first-team action. At the same time, Sean Lineen, the Glasgow Warriors head coach, admitted that Graeme Morrison, the centre who has missed only one international in the last year and a half, may not be fit for the start of the RBS Six Nations Championship next month.
Lineen says the expert advice is still that Morrison will be unavailable “for weeks rather than months” after damaging his knee early in the Christmas derby against Edinburgh, but that there is no guarantee he will be back to face France in four weeks.