Scots face tense wait on key trio

Scotland could lose the services of three potential first-team players for the Six Nations' Championship because of a row brewing after a stormy match between the Borders and Edinburgh.

Budge Pountney, their former captain, is also a doubt after picking up an injury with his English club, Northampton.

The Borders have cited both Martin Leslie and Nathan Hines for stamping during Edinburgh's 46-13 Bank of Scotland Pro Rugby Cup victory on 4 January. And mystified Edinburgh officials believe it is a tit-for-tat action after they reported the Borders' George Graham for violent play.

The Edinburgh chief executive, Jim McKenzie, said: "I have not yet seen the citings but cannot remember any incident of note involving Martin Leslie or Nathan Hines.

We will look at the videos again and would not support any of our players involved in malicious foul play. But this would appear to be just brought by the Borders in a tit-for-tat action knowing the seriousness of naming two such high-profile players. I find it a little bit disingenuous as we spoke to Borders officials immediately after the match about the George Graham incident and they did not mention anything about our players."

McKenzie claimed that the incident involving Graham that left Edinburgh's Scotland international, Craig Smith, requiring six stitches to a facial wound was clear for all to see at the game. He pointed out that they had given the Borders an opportunity to discipline their own player and only moved to cite Graham after no internal action was taken.

Any action against the three cited players could lead to a ban that might rule them out of the upcoming international series.

The Borders chief executive, Alastair Cranston, responded: "This could be viewed as tit-for-tat, but we think it is unfair to George Graham, who is a hard player but with a good record, that he should take the flak for what was a hard game from both sides.

"Our coaches have looked through the tapes and found two incidents involving Edinburgh players which, in their professional opinion and experience should be cited." The three players will learn their fate when the independent inquiry sits on Wednesday, but the two clubs could resolve the situation before then.

Meanwhile, reports suggest the injury that forced Pountney out of Northampton's Heineken Cup victory over Biarritz and the forthcoming match against Ulster could rule the forward out of the Six Nations. No details of the injury have been released, but the Scottish Rugby Union will disclose details after a national squad training session on Monday.

Elsewhere, Bath are hoping to have their England utility back, Mike Catt, and USA No 8, Dan Lyle, back from injury for their Parker Pen Challenge Cup quarter-final second leg against the French side, Montauban. Bath are looking to overturn a 27-24 first leg deficit when the sides clash again at the Recreation Ground at the weekend.

Coach Michael Foley said: "It will be a huge challenge for us to roll them at The Rec. Borders found that when they came back from Montauban with a three-point deficit and then lost at home."