Injuries offer Hawick’s Jack Oliver chance of first United Rugby Championship play-off start for Glasgow Warriors
Hawick’s Jack Oliver could be in line for his first United Rugby Championship play-off start for Glasgow Warriors this coming Saturday just over a week on from his inaugural appearance at that stage of the competition during their 33-21 win hosting County Galway’s Connacht last Friday.
Warriors are at home to Pretoria’s Bulls at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium in this year’s semi-finals at the weekend, with kick-off at 2.30pm, but three of their senior scrum-halves are injury doubts for that game, with Oliver, 23, next in line for their No 9 jersey.
George Horne sustained a hand injury during Friday’s quarter-final knockout of the Irish outfit at Scotstoun Stadium and Jamie Dobie and ex-Southern Knight Ben Afshar were already ruled out beforehand, with shoulder and ankle issues respectively.
All three are potentially available for selection ahead of this Friday’s squad announcement, according to assistant coach Nigel Carolan, but if not, a second start to accompany his seven appearances from the bench – the latest of them as a 69th-minute replacement for Horne, 31, last week – could be in prospect for Oliver, 23.
“I’d say that if George lost his two arms and one of his legs, he’d still want to play at the weekend,” said Carolan, 53.
“George is still fighting. He’s just a little bit bruised but we’re going to give him every chance to get back for Saturday.
“He’s doing all right – he’s just a little bit tender. At the moment, we’re preparing and planning on the basis that he’s available.
“We’d be hopeful that one or both of him and Jamie could be available.
“To have one or both of them on the field with us will give us the best chance of success.”
Oliver’s ten minutes or so of last-eight game-time last Friday haven’t done his chances of a first-XV call-up any harm, however, with Carolan adding: “For the last ten minutes, young Jack Oliver from our academy, he stepped up to the plate. I thought he had really good control.”
Oliver was one of two Borderers fielded by head coach Franco Smith’s Warriors against Connacht, the other being Hawick’s Rory Sutherland as a 58th-minute substitute for Patrick Schickerling at loosehead prop.
The Glaswegians’ upcoming South African opponents, beaten finalists against Leinster last time round, knocked out Munster 45-15 at home on Saturday to book their last-four place.