SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY REPORTS

Testing time for Robinson as he chooses squad that must halt Napoleon's march

Published Date: 18 October 2009
By Iain Morrison
THE last time Andy Robinson announced a Scotland squad it boasted a whopping 45 headcount, or three players in every position. Tuesday sees the announcement of a slimmed-down pool of 32 for the autumn Test series which equates to roughly two players for each shirt.
Many of the places pick themselves, including the scrum-halves and hookers, although Robinson may opt for three players in both positions. Elsewhere, several leading contenders are to be found on their clubs' substitutes' bench or, in the case of Northampton's Scott Gray, out of the squad altogether.

In the front row the on-going injury to Euan Murray means that both Geoff Cross and Moray Low should be included while on the opposite side of the scrum Ally Dickinson should take one spot while Allan Jacobsen is fighting the challenge of Kyle Traynor for the other. In the back row Ally Hogg and Johnny Beattie are scrapping over the No.8 berth and Jason White is vying with Ally Strokosch for the blindside slot.

In the outside backs Robinson may be content with five players to fill the back three positions especially since Rory Lamont and Chris Paterson can both double up at wing and full-back. Sean Lamont has probably lost ground over the last couple of weeks and Simon Danielli started yesterday's match against Edinburgh on the Ulster bench, so places are up for grabs. Nikki Walker has been playing well for the Ospreys although there is still a feeling that he needs more time and space to get up to speed than Test match rugby is willing to give him.

Robinson's main headaches ahead of home Tests against Fiji, Australia and Argentina are centred on Scotland's two problem positions, stand-off and outside centre. The patchy form of Phil Godman and Edinburgh may see a recall for Dan Parks. The Glasgow stand-off was excluded from the big squad that met at St Andrews two months ago but he is creeping back into form and possibly into favour. Parks is not doing anything new but he is at least doing what he usually does pretty well and Robinson may need that comfort blanket, especially with Fiji first up on 14 November when Scotland have to play in the right areas of the field.

The other issue is at 13 where Max Evans made a return from injury for Glasgow Hawks against Boroughmuir yesterday – a timely comeback considering Ben Cairns started Edinburgh's match on the bench. Nick De Luca may yet take his chance to impress at outside centre, one place wider than he normally plays, and at least he brings some much needed aggression to any back division he joins.

Robinson needs to make the correct calls on these key places because Fiji announced a strong squad only last week. The veteran half-back pairing of Mosese Rauluni and Nikki Little team up ten years after they first played together at Test level and the Scarlets' prop Deacon Manu, formally a New Zealand Maori, has finally thrown his lot in with the country of his mother's birth.

After getting the fright of their lives from Rupeni Caucau in the 2003 World Cup when the flying winger almost beat Scotland single-handedly, Robinson will need to be wary of the man known in France as "Napoleon". Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga was recently voted the best player in the French Top 14 and, with 24 tries to his credit last season, it's easy to see the threat he will pose at Murrayfield.

This article was posted on 18-Oct-2009, 20:28 by Hugh Barrow.