• Johnnie Beattie: not eligible for Heineken tie

THE SCOTSMAN REVEALS

Beattie was a key component of the Scotland side built by Andy Robinson last year, but he missed the first five months of this season as he recovered from a shoulder operation, and his best prognosis was for a return in early January. The 25-year-old made his first appearance of the season for Glasgow against Munster at the weekend and expected to step up his comeback with two rounds of European rugby before Scotland's RBS Six Nations opener against France on 5 February, but no-one seems to have been aware that he could not play.

The Scotsman understands Glasgow believed he had been registered prior to the final pool deadline of noon on Tuesday and so were planning to name him tomorrow in their side.

However, they were informed yesterday that they had already used up the one permitted player-switch last month when they brought in Dave McCall, who had recovered from injury, for the departed Chauncey O'Toole. Only one change can be made to the original squad of 38 named in September throughout the pool stages.

Beattie is, therefore, ineligible for the games at home to Wasps on Sunday and away to Newport next week, and with no Magners League rugby until February, he will not have any more opportunities with Glasgow to press his claims for a Scotland return.

A Glasgow spokesman said: "We are delighted that Johnnie Beattie is back from a long-term injury ahead of schedule but the rules of the competition are such that with one change having been made to the Glasgow squad of 38 for the Heineken Cup during the pool stages we cannot add another player at this point."

Scotland coach Andy Robinson had hoped that Beattie would enjoy a minimum of three professional games this month in which to recover some match fitness and become a contender for RBS Six Nations duty.

But the player is now poised to turn out for his designated club side Ayr, who travel south to face English Championship strugglers Birmingham and Solihull this weekend and then to Rotherham the week after, both in the British and Irish Cup - providing there are no registration hurdles to that competition.

This article was originally posted on 13-Jan-2011, 07:54 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 13-Jan-2011, 08:10.