'A bubonic plague has descended on Glasgow players'

BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering some of your Scottish rugby questions.

Glenn asked: Will the likely loss of Scott Cummings be underestimated and overshadowed by Sione Tuipulotu's injury?

Tom answered: Cummings is a huge loss. He has power in abundance and now he's out of the equation. It's another cruel blow.

Jonny Gray will presumably start in his place, but he's been out injured for a while, so I'm a bit worried about his match sharpness.

Remember that Max Williamson is also out injured. Williamson was absolutely fantastic when he came on against the Boks in the autumn. He went up against their biggest guys and looked comfortable. He's such a fine prospect.

But two of the top four locks are injured and there's that concern about a third (Gray). It's worrying, put it that way. Very worrying.

John asked: At such a crucial point in the rugby calendar, how much of a blow are injuries to both Scotland and Glasgow's hopes of success?

Tom answered: Gregor Townsend and Franco Smith are putting a brave face on it, but this is a nightmare for the pair of them. A bubonic plague has descended on Glasgow players - Tuipulotu, Cummings, Williamson, Steyn, Hastings. Have I missed some? Probably.

All the focus has been on the damage done to Scotland's Six Nations season but these are troubling times for Glasgow as well.

They wouldn't have had much, if any, access to these players during the Six Nations anyway, but we don't know for sure when most of them will be back.

Steyn should be back for the England game and will be available for Glasgow in Europe and for the run-in in the URC. You'd hope Hastings will be available by then as well.

But Tuipulotu, Cummings and Williamson? The prognosis is pretty vague and the uncertainty about their return is head wrecking.

Franco is sanguine about it, in public at any rate. He's built a good squad there and he has other proven options he can go with.

But, in private, I'd imagine he'll be sweating a little. If Glasgow are to stay alive in Europe and in the URC he needs all his heavy hitters fit and firing. These games are only going to get harder and harder from early April onwards,