Mower may run on Murrayfield grass

SCOTLAND coach Ian McGeechan has hinted that Andrew Mower will be given the task of replacing Budge Pountney for next week’s Six Nations Championship opener with Ireland.

The 27-year-old Newcastle openside flanker has just four caps to his name, but the Australian-born player looks set to step into the sizeable boots of the former captain for the eagerly-awaited Murrayfield showdown on February 16.

Mower, however, has been in great form for his club since recovering from injury and the Scotland coach would have no hesitation in promoting him to the starting side.

“He’s playing very well at the moment,” said McGeechan. “My views are pretty well known about number sevens. It is a specialist position and you do look at certain things.

“It’s like any other position and you always discuss them and the type of player that’s available and how best things will fit together,” he said.

McGeechan is still smarting from Northampton flanker Pountney’s shock decision last week to quit the international stage after becoming disillusioned with the set-up.

But he is determined to look forward and has issued a challenge to Mower and all the other promising flankers at his disposal.

McGeechan added: “Budge has been consistently good for Scotland, but the jersey moves on and it’s a great opportunity for somebody to represent it as well as Budge did.”

The coach could have moved Martin Leslie to number seven or drafted in Glasgow’s Jason White who has recovered from a broken thumb.

But McGeechan’s reluctance to change his switch players around or rush the forward back appears to leave the way forward for Mower to make the position his own.

McGeechan also showed he was not scared to reward inform players by naming two uncapped players in his squad as they looked to build on their success during the autumn Tests.

Kelso and Borders centre Kevin Utterson and Leeds Tykes prop, Gavin Kerr, were both named in the strong 22 and McGeechan revealed that the players were in on merit.

He explained: “We feel Kevin’s been playing well and is a very direct runner and is one of the in-form midfield backs. He’s been playing consistently well for the Borders and he’s sharp. I’ve been quite impressed every time I watched him.

“When you’ve got three players playing front line in every position from my point of view it’s a definite advantage,” he said.

McGeechan was not afraid to name some of the old guard as well with Sale Sharks scrum-half Bryan Redpath being named skipper and Borders veteran Gregor Townsend also included.

London Wasps back Kenny Logan was also among the names having not appeared for his country since the final Six Nations game of last year against Wales.

But McGeechan concluded: “You obviously want to call in players that are playing well and to be fair to the players you have to reflect that.”