Ex-Biggar star Fraser Brown fears Six Nations blow could hit Lions hopes too

The Glasgow Warriors captain, on Biggar’s books up to the age of 18, will miss out on the championship due to a neck injury sustained against Ireland in the Autumn Nations Cup last month.

That’s a big blow in itself for the 31-year-old, brought up in Carstairs, and he fears it could add insult to injury by ruling him out of contention for this year’s scheduled Lions tour as well, assuming it doesn’t fall fould of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

“You’d be lying if you said taking yourself out of the Six Nations three months before a Lions tour is not going to do your chances any harm,” the hooker, capped 52 times, told a BBC Scotland rugby podcast.

“It is what it is. You can’t help it.

“From my point of view, I’ve just got to do my rehab as best I can and try and get fit as soon as I can.

“If I can get fit in quick enough time, then hopefully I’ve got meaningful rugby before that decision is made, if the tour goes ahead in the summer.

“Obviously it’s disappointing, but there’s not much you can do.

“Injuries are going to happen and it’s a bit of a sickener that it’s happened at this time of the year but, again, if I get drawn into that way of thinking it doesn’t help me, doesn’t help my rehab, doesn’t help me plan my next couple of months and how I’m going to get back fit.”

The Lions are scheduled to play their first game versus Japan at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Saturday, June 26, and their opening test against South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday, July 24.

Concerns are growing, though, that the tour could be relocated to stadia in the UK and Ireland or postponed until next year if the ongoing rise in Covid-19 cases worldwide isn’t halted soon.

BBC Scotland’s interview with Brown can be heard at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p094l93z