Tom English column: ‘Zander the great – Scotland’s most indispensable player’

As Gregor Townsend nails down his squad for the four autumn Tests – the announcement will be next midweek – there is an area of concern that might be keeping the Scotland coach awake at night.

Who is the country’s most indispensable player? It’s possibly a dead-heat between Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Zander Fagerson.

I’d argue that Fagerson shades it. Why? Because when you swing open the cupboard with the number three on it, there’s a whole lot of empty space in there.

At least Townsend has Adam Hastings and Tom Jordan (plus Ross Thompson and Ben Healy) as back-up at 10, plus he’s got Stafford McDowall, Cam Redpath and Rory Hutchinson as potential replacements for Tuipulotu at 12 if he needs one, which he’ll hope like hell he doesn’t because Tuipolutu is an insanely good rugby player.

It would take a whole lot of cotton wool to wrap up big Zander, but it might be worth the effort given the lack of options should anything happen to him.

Fagerson is a remarkable operator. In his scrummaging, his power, his ball-carrying and his relentless nature, he’s a Lion-in-waiting.

In the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the URC last season, Fagerson played the full 80 every time. Three supercharged 80s, three weekends on the trot. That’s pretty special.

This season, Glasgow have had three players sharing tighthead duties – Fagerson, the Australian Sam Talakai and the Namibian-Englishman Patrick Schickerling. They’re the tightheads getting game-time.

Edinburgh, in the post WP Nel age, have had Paul Hill, the six-cap England player, and D’Arcy Rae. Hill has stated all four URC games, Rae has come off the bench in all four. The Scot won his Test cap coming up for six years ago. Rae has started one game of club rugby since March 2023.

Elliot Millar-Mills, who was on the bench during the last Six Nations, has played 40 minutes of rugby for Northampton this season so far. Will Hurd of Leicester has played 49 minutes.

Edinburgh’s Javan Sebastian and Angus Williams and Glasgow’s Murphy Walker and Fin Richardson haven’t played any minutes.

Who else? Murray McCallum is coming off the bench for the long-suffering Newcastle. McCallum has lost 20 of his last 21 games for his club.

Oli Kebble – we’re getting a bit crazy here, I know – can play both sides of the scrum. He’s playing loosehead with Oyonnax in the second tier in France now. Not exactly a standout prospect.

This would be a pretty good time for Townsend to unearth another tighthead from somewhere, anywhere. An 18st rabbit being pulled out of a hat would be quite the sight.

Scotland play Fiji first in the autumn and it’s outside the international window, so Millar-Mills won’t be available. Fagerson will have to start that one. He might well have to finish that one, too.

Then it’s the Springboks – and he’s definitely starting that one. After that it’s Portugal. He’ll get a respite that day, possibly. Then it’s the Wallabies. Scrum on down again, big man.

Fagerson is worth his considerable weight in gold to Glasgow and Scotland. Quite how one of the major French clubs with money to burn haven’t made a decisive play for him is bizarre, but it’s a blessing for Townsend to still have him in the country.

Russell and Tuipulotu are extremely important. Fagerson is utterly essential.