With Scotland meeting up for training in Huddersfield on Wednesday (24 Oct) before flying to Perpignan on Friday ahead of the international against France at Stade Gilbert Brutus on Saturday night (27 Oct), McCormack must decide whether to risk star scrum-half Danny Brough and his Castleford team-mate Andrew Henderson. Both are recovering from the National League One Grand Final in which they beat McCormack's Widnes, for whom goalkicking centre Mick Nanyn may also miss the trip to Perpignan. McCormack is reluctant to field his main playmakers in a 'friendly' with a place in Australia up for grabs seven days later.

McCormack could be forced to hand debuts to a new-look half-back partnership of Batley Bulldogs stand-off Lee Patterson and young Scotland Students scrum-half Richie Hawkyard, who recently left Bradford Bulls, where he played a couple of Super League games this season, in search of first team rugby at Swinton Lions.

Scotland are also likely to give first caps to Doncaster winger Dean Colton, Wakefield's Kevin Henderson, Hul Fc loose forward Graeme Horne and Sheffield Eagles prop James Morrow in France to give McCormack and assistant Dave Rotheram the chance to see everyone in an international action before selecting a full strength team to face Wales at Old Anniesland, live on Sky a week on Sunday.

This article was posted on 23-Oct-2007, 13:22 by Hugh Barrow.