Edinburgh Evening News reveals


Rising Heriot's star Lawrie Seydak has been urged to use a Premiership A rugby clash with Glasgow Hawks at Goldenacre on Saturday to further his representative ambitions.

The 18-year-old back row missed a possible under-20 cap when he sat out the beginning of the season with shoulder damage then a long arranged family holiday meant any invite to a gathering ahead of the start of the age-group Six Nations would have had to be turned down.

Hawks are coached by Peter Wright who also has charge of the under-20s and Heriot's coach Bob McKillop says: "I know Lawrie has been on the under-20s radar and since then he has switched from No.?8 to openside flanker and turned in a couple of outstanding performances. Saturday would be the ideal day on which to maintain his current form."

The first of outings at openside was at champions Currie and despite Heriot's losing heavily former under-18 cap Seydak was still competing strongly at full-time.

"Currie have a very solid pack but for a teenager it was impressive the way Lawrie stayed up in contact and kept his leg drive going. Moving him to openside was forced upon us by Struan Dewar's selection for Scotland sevens and Peter Eccles' unavailability but it is working," said McKillop.

Heriot's 36-31 win at Hillhead/Jordanhill in the Premier Cup on Saturday saw Seydak compared to Mike Maltman, a recent under-20 cap from Goldenacre now plying his trade professionally with English side Moseley.

Added McKillop: "Lawrie combines the footwork of Struan Dewar with the pace of Mike Maltman."

Any progress by the likes of Seydak cannot come quickly enough for those at the higher echelons of the game where Scotland are struggling and the player himself is keen to go as far as possible.

"I'd like to add to my Scotland honours at as high a level as possible," said Seydak. "Although I'm also qualified to play for England, Ireland and Poland, I know where my ambitions lie."

Meanwhile, Heriot's are likely to be without stand-off Richard Mill for the remainder of the season after he suffered knee damage against Hillhead/Jordanhill when scrum-half Alan Bennie, newly returned from Australia, made his top team debut from off the bench.

This article was originally posted on 17-Feb-2011, 13:36 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 17-Feb-2011, 13:38.