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'Won't be a problem': Former teammate weighs in on Mo’unga return
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Glasgow new-boy Dan Lancaster and a potential Scotland call-up
By Bryn Palmer
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has welcomed the prospect of Dan Lancaster bolstering his options at No.10 after the fly-half’s move to Glasgow.
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Townsend revealed the son of former England boss Stuart Lancaster was already in contention for the current tour the Scots will begin with a non-cap fixture against New Zealand Maori in Whangarei on Saturday.
Lancaster, 24, only spent a year with Racing 92 in the Top 14 after two seasons in the English Championship with Ealing Trailfinders.
But he featured in 27 matches including 16 starts, nine of them at fly-half, where he ended the season after starting the campaign mostly at inside centre.
At Glasgow [a move first reported by RugbyPass] he will replace the equally versatile Tom Jordan, one of three stand-offs in the Scotland party in New Zealand, alongside Adam Hastings – who starts against the Maori – and Fergus Burke, who is poised for his first Scotland outing off the bench.
“He was in the selection mix for the summer tour,” Townsend said of Lancaster, who won an Under-20s Six Nations Grand Slam with England in 2021 but qualifies for Scotland courtesy of a grandmother from Dumfries.
“I spoke to Dan on a couple of occasions. He played a lot of rugby for Racing last year and played well. He’s competing with the likes of Adam and Fergus who have made this tour. [Edinburgh’s] Ross Thompson was also unlucky to miss out.
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“It’s great that we have a player who is Scottish-qualified and is keen to be involved with Scotland. He is now going to be playing in Scotland and helping Glasgow. It adds to our depth in what is one of the most important positions on the field.”
With first-choice half-backs Finn Russell and Ben White with the Lions in Australia and Jordan being held back for the upcoming Tests with Fiji and Samoa, Hastings and George Horne, by far the most experienced players in the side with 32 and 36 caps respectively, will be tasked with steering the Scotland ship against the Maori.
Horne, 30, has only started seven Tests for Scotland and gets a rare chance to bring his skill-set to bear at the outset of a game Townsend considers “a Test match in all but name”.
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“George is one of our most experienced players now and being vice-captain shows what he means to us,” Townsend said of a player who scored 14 tries for Warriors this season.
“Starting games is obviously what players want to do, but George is also an outstanding player off the bench – that is a real strength of his. He can really up the pace of a game and we’ve seen him do that for us a lot in the past.
“He gets the opportunity from the start this week. But when you get into the second half of a game and you have George on the bench, he can really change things for you.”
Another player looking to reassert his credentials for a regular place is Saracens flanker Andy Onyeama-Christie, who enjoyed a superb final game of the 2024 Six Nations against Ireland before two broken arms and then a horrific ankle fracture and dislocation last October derailed his progress.
The 26-year-old returned earlier than expected for Sarries, featuring in eight games – including two starts – in the final couple of months of the season.
He now has a chance to force his way into contention for the Fiji and Samoa Tests, with Jamie Ritchie, tour captain Rory Darge and fit-again Matt Fagerson not involved against the Maori.
“He’s probably still on a journey because he’s not had as many minutes as he would have liked,” Townsend said. “Physically he’s got back to the level he was at before, which is a real credit to him and the medics who have worked with him to help him.
“It was a horrendous injury that he suffered, but he’s moving really well and he’s getting more involved.
“I’m sure he would have liked maybe a few more 80 minutes in the bank before this tour. There’s a lot of competition in the back row for next week’s game, but we hope Andy can get close to delivering the level he was at just over a year ago in the Six Nations. He was a real asset, competing with the others who have played this season.”
Townsend also gave an update on injured tighthead prop Zander Fagerson, hinting it is unlikely he could still be a replacement option if injuries strike the British & Irish Lions, having been forced to withdraw from the original squad with a pre-tour calf injury.
“There was a potential option of him coming out with us to carry on his rehab, but it was felt it best for him to stay at home,” the head coach added. “The timeline is going to be very tight if he was to be fit by the end of the Lions tour. Everyone wants Zander fit in the right time for him. It’s just very disappointing that he has missed out with that injury.”
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