Ansbro to miss England game

Jan 26 2012 by Andrew McNair, Galloway News

STEWARTRY’S Sport Personality of the Year looks set to miss out on a battle with the old enemy.

Joe Ansbro has missed his club side London Irish’s last three games and is now a doubt to face England at Murrayfield on February 4.

The former Gatehouse Primary pupil has been out with a back complaint and is battling to be fit for the Calcutta Cup clash, which is also Scotland’s opening match of the six nations.

Twenty-six-year-old centre Ansbro has nine caps for Scotland and scored a try against Romania at last year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

His club side London Irish travelled to Scotland on Sunday and were promptly knocked out of the Heineken Cup, rugby’s European Cup, 34 points to 11 by Edinburgh.

Lockerbie’s Nick De Luca, missed the match for Edinburgh after failing to recover from a head knock.

But he is expected to be fit enough to take his place in the national squad for the fixture next Saturday.