Scotland stand-off Duncan Weir is set to be absent from the Autumn International programme after suffering a broken jaw while on club duty with Edinburgh.
Weir started in Scotland’s narrow RBS 6 Nations defeat to Wales, converting Duncan Taylor’s late score, while also appearing as a replacement against Ireland.
That trip to Lansdowne Road was the 25-year-old’s last international appearance to date, 11 of which have come in the RBS 6 Nations, including kicking the drop-goal that earned Scotland’s first win in Italy since 2006 two years ago.
But a jaw fracture suffered in Edinburgh’s 28-14 defeat to Munster is set to rule Weir out of Vern Cotter’s tour matches against Australia, Argentina and Georgia, the first of which begins on November 12.
Weir had played in all four of his side’s Guinness PRO12 matches in the campaign, but a clash of heads with CJ Stander ended the back’s game prematurely, with the surgery he had on Sunday now meaning a period of recovery must follow.
The Autumn series will be Cotter’s last at the helm, set to be replaced by Gregor Townsend in June 2017, the first Scot to take on the role since Frank Hadden’s 2009 departure.
And Weir’s former Edinburgh teammate and Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw has backed Townsend to carry on Cotter’s good work.
“All you want as a player is a good coach. We’ ve got that in Vern and I’m sure we will have that in Gregor as well,” Laidlaw told the Daily Mail.
“The fact that he is Scottish; down the line, it is probably a good thing.”
