More players to follow Price & Jordan out of Scotland?

BBC Scotland’s chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering your Scottish rugby questions.

Ian asked: With both Ali Price and Tom Jordan leaving Scotland at the end of the season I worry, given the financial situation, that more may join them. Am I right to worry?

Tom answered: Losing Jordan to Bristol was a particularly sore one because I suspect if Glasgow were quicker on the draw they could have kept him without breaking the bank. I think he was one Scotland could have held on to as opposed to a Finn Russell or a Blair Kinghorn who were impossible to keep.

France is where the real money is these days. French rugby is a bit of an outlier in that it’s in pretty rude health in a financial sense. I can see a few more going over there. Price, obviously. Duhan van der Merwe, too.

I don’t think it’ll be an exodus but there are good players in Scotland and they’ll get offers. Some will be sad losses, others less.

I think right now, Van der Merwe would fall into the latter category. Edinburgh don’t get enough out of him to justify what will be a major spend. They might be better off using the money to strengthen in a couple of positions.

In one sense, players leaving is grim news because the better these guys do the harder it will be for Glasgow and Edinburgh to keep them. In another sense, it frees up space for younger ones to come through. It’s the circle of rugby life.