Borderer Darcy Graham about to make comeback for Scotland in rugby’s Six Nations

The 26-year-old is back in training after missing the Scots’ opening 27-26 win away to Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, February 3, and their 20-16 defeat at home to France at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium on Saturday gone, but head coach Gregor Townsend is hopeful he’ll be available for selection to play against the English on Saturday, February 24.

The winger has been out of action since sustaining a quad injury during Edinburgh’s 21-20 European Professional Club Rugby Challenge Cup loss at home to Gloucester at the capital’s Hive Stadium on Saturday, January 13, and that latest fitness blow came just a month after the Borderer made a comeback for his club at home to France’s Castres Olympique on Saturday, December 16, after having been sidelined by hip and knee issues since Scotland’s Rugby World Cup exit to Ireland at the start of October.

Graham had been in the frame to play a part in Edinburgh’s United Rugby Championship match away to Italy’s Zebre Parma this Friday, with kick-off at 7.35pm, as part of his recuperation but that’s now been ruled out.

Head coach Sean Everitt is confident he’ll be fit in time to play for his country just over a week later, though, saying: “Darcy is on a return-to-play week.

“Medically, they feel he just needs another week of full training. He should be up and ready to go next week.

“If selected, he would be ready to play against England if he gets through this week of training unscathed.”

Ex-Gala player Townsend, 50, is also hopeful of seeing Graham back in Scotland colours soon, adding: “Darcy is now fully training, so you might see him running around with Edinburgh this week.”

Graham’s potential return for his 40th cap would halt a run of two games on the trot without any representatives of the region being selected for the first time since 1921, the only other Borderer in Townsend’s squad, Jedburgh’s Glen Young, having been overlooked for their games against Wales and France.

Three-times-capped lock Young, 29, is one of seven players released by Scotland to Edinburgh for consideration for this week’s game in Parma.

Former Southern Knights flanker Rory Darge co-captained Scotland with Finn Russell at the weekend, playing for the full 80 minutes, and Bath centre Cameron Redpath, son of ex-Melrose scrum-half Bryan Redpath, was brought on as a 77th-minute replacement for Huw Jones but that was the extent of the region’s on-pitch contribution to the Scottish cause.

“Rory was outstanding. He brought physicality,” said Townsend afterwards. “There are a lot of positives but obviously it would have been brilliant to get the victory and that wasn’t the case.”

Scotland are currently third in the Six Nations table, with five points from two fixtures, three points and one place behind the English.