Scotland lose Prop Welsh for South Pacific tour

Scotland prop forward Jon Welsh has been ruled out of the remaining two matches of his country’s tour of the South Pacific with a shoulder injury.

The Glasgow Warriors prop suffered the injury during training on Scotland’s final day in Sydney before flying to Fiji on Saturday.

Welsh will be replaced by his clubmate Moray Low.

“Jon has had problems with his shoulder and today during a relatively innocuous tackle technique exercise he sustained a shoulder subluxation, where the shoulder partially dislocated from the joint,” team doctor James Robson said.

“We were able to put it back in but a scan showed that the shoulder had sustained damage and he will take no further part in the tour.”

Robson said Welsh would be reassessed on his return home with a view to possible surgery.

Scotland head coach Andy Robinson said the team was making arrangements for Low to fly out and join the squad in Fiji early next week.

Meanwhile, flanker Alasdair Strokosch returned to team training Friday following the head wound he sustained amid the unrestrained celebrations on the field after the 9-6 victory over the Wallabies in Newcastle on Tuesday.

Back Joe Ansbro (head wound), who clashed heads with Strokosch, did not train but the swelling had receded around his eye.

Scotland play Fiji in Lautoka on June 16 followed a week later by a Test against Samoa in Apia.