After 232 days out, Scotland prop Zander Fagerson finally returned to action in the 56-0 win over Tonga. Three calf tears and a freak knee injury in the gym had kept the 29-year-old away since April.
“It’s been a dark few months,” he said. “The lungs need a bit more adjusting, but I was buzzing to be back.”
Career momentum halted
Fagerson’s year turned from promising to punishing. He was performing strongly in the Six Nations and was selected for the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. Then came the first calf problem — followed by two more setbacks.
By September, refreshed but still disappointed by missing the Lions, his knee gave way while lifting weights. “Brutal,” he said. “Everything got taken away pretty quickly.”
Family lift through tough times
Now on 76 caps, the tighthead admits nerves returned ahead of his comeback — but mostly for his family watching on.
“I’m doing it all for them — my wife, my four kids, everyone who stuck with me. When I saw them during the anthems, I got a wobble. It was special.”
A month-long break in Asia helped clear his mind, but watching the first Lions Test reopened the wounds. “It ate me up a little bit. That was dark.”
Fighting through isolation
When he returned to training, setbacks continued. The knee problem meant lonely days at Glasgow Warriors’ base.
“It was morbid coming in every day, seeing only physios,” he said. “The worst time in my career, 100%.”
His wife Yasmine encouraged him forward — and joked he was better off back on a rugby pitch than trying household chores.
Cup full again
Fagerson finally made it onto the field and wants to build sharpness quickly.
“I’ve missed it a lot. My cup is full. I’m ready to get back playing.”
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