With Sione Tuipulotu ruled out of the entire Six Nations with a pectoral muscle injury that requires surgery, Scotland have lost their captain and a talismanic figure whose influence on the side has grown considerably over the last 12 months.
It is a cruel blow on the eve of a championship in which the 27-year-old centre, who has won 30 caps since his debut in the autumn of 2021, was poised to confirm his status as a likely British and Irish Lions tourist for this summer’s trip to Australia.
Tuipulotu is expected to return before the end of the season so may still make that tour and any games for Glasgow in the latter stages of the URC and European Champions Cup.
But in the short term, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, who has re-appointed Finn Russell and Rory Darge as co-captains – the duo having shared the same role in last year’s Six Nations – must decide who will start in the No.12 jersey for their opener against Italy on 1 February.
Stafford McDowall (Glasgow): Age 26 Caps 8 (4 starts)
The favourite to step up, having impressed on his first Six Nations start against Ireland at the end of last year’s Championship, when Tuipulotu missed the last two games.
Has subsequently led Scotland twice – as co-captain on the summer tour against Canada, and on his own against Portugal in the autumn – and is clearly a trusted figure.
Despite the celebrated ‘Huwipulotu’ partnership of Tuipulotu and Huw Jones with Glasgow and Scotland, McDowall has been a pivotal cog in Warriors’ progress in recent seasons, with only an untimely hand injury towards the end of last season and a recent three-match ban keeping him out of the side.
Like Tuipulotu, the 6ft 4in McDowall has an all-round game with a strong running threat, excellent distribution – as he showed against Harlequins on Saturday – and a deft, left-footed kicking game. Also packs plenty of punch in defence.
Tom Jordan (Glasgow): Age 26 Caps 3 (2 starts)
The New Zealand-born fly-half made a spectacular entrance to Test rugby in the autumn, having completed a five-year residency period to qualify for Scotland.
Came on early as a replacement against Fiji at full-back and looked so instantly at home that Townsend started him there against South Africa the following week, when he again impressed again with his composure, confidence on the counter and aggressive defence.
Jordan has regularly been deployed at 12 for Glasgow in recent seasons, although only twice this season, when he has mostly started at 10, with Adam Hastings absent for much of the campaign.
Showed his devastating attacking range on Saturday against Harlequins, finishing off a sublime try from distance and putting others through holes with some slick passing. An ideal man to have on the bench, as he can cover 10, 12 and 15, but Townsend may want him on the field from the start.
Rory Hutchinson (Northampton): Age 28 Caps 8 (4 starts)
As news of Tuipulotu’s injury emerged on Saturday, Northampton’s Hutchinson was turning in his latest impressive display of an excellent season against Munster.
Widely regarded as one of the best passers in the Premiership, his incisive bullets were key to several Saints tries but he also stood up well doing the grunt work in defence, winning one breakdown penalty over the ball.
Lacks the running power of Tuipulotu and only started two Tests at centre under Townsend – the latest against Portugal in November, with the only previous one before the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Hutchinson’s other starts for Scotland came at full-back on a summer tour of Argentina in 2022, but could easily be used as a second playmaker alongside Finn Russell, having started at 10 for Saints recently. Another who may be deployed from the bench.
Mosese Tuipulotu (Edinburgh): Age 23 Caps 0
Alongside Huw Jones, who is likely to remain in the 13 jersey, Matt Currie was the fifth centre named by Townsend last week in his Six Nations squad.
Although the 23-year-old, capped four times, began the season for Edinburgh at 12, he has started their last nine games at outside centre, where he has looked far more at home and his speed and running power can be deployed to greater effect.
Currie effectively switched roles with Mosese Tuipulotu, Sione’s younger brother, who started the campaign at 13 but has found his feet at inside centre in his first season in Scotland, looking more at home with each game he plays.
The 23-year-old was named in the wider training squad for the autumn, but didn’t make the initial Six Nations cut, and Edinburgh have arguably looked more incisive in attack with the more heads-up approach of James Lang at 12 in recent weeks.
The younger Tuipulotu is still raw at elite level, but if Townsend wants a like-for-like replacement in terms of a midfield wrecking ball, he may yet get a call.
