John Hardie returns to Scotland squad after completing suspension

John Hardie has been recalled to the Scotland squad barely three months after he was suspended by his club with his career seemingly in tatters Credit: Stu Forster/Getty Images

• Richard Bath

5 March 2018 • 10:00pm

John Hardie has been recalled to the Scotland squad for Saturday’s game against Ireland, barely three months since the flanker was ­suspended from all rugby for ­alleged cocaine use, with his career seemingly in tatters.
“John’s a fantastic player,” said Mike Blair, Scotland’s backs coach. “He has a good pedigree and history playing with Scotland. When you have a player like that available it would be silly not to have him on board. He’s had his time off. He’s been helped through that and now he can focus on his rugby.”
The New Zealand-born openside is, however, just one of a whole slew of former Scotland shoo-ins who have recently returned ahead of the Dublin trip.