Williams challenges Ross to prove himself

MATT WILLIAMS has challenged fly-half Gordon Ross to prove he is worthy of a Test start against Australia with a dominant display in Scotland’s final midweek tour match, against the NSW Waratahs tomorrow.

Ross could be forgiven for thinking he had done so already after a try-scoring return to the international arena on Friday as Scotland broke their eight-month Test duck with victory over Samoa.

But neither Williams, nor Ross was satisfied with his tactical kicking against the islanders and stray clearances into a Wallaby back division probably including the likes of Lote Tuqiri and Joe Roff will be sorely punished.

"I wasn't happy with his kicking in the last game and he has a chance to impress, prove me wrong and make his case for selection against the Wallabies," said Williams yesterday.

That Ross was given his third start in four matches this tour could easily have been interpreted as a major hint that Dan Parks will be preferred in Sunday's first Test against Australia in Melbourne. But Williams addressed all his players at training yesterday and urged them not to draw any conclusions from the selections, assuring them that Test places remain available.

Indeed, places on the tour itself are still up for grabs with the group of players scheduled to fly home on Wednesday, once the "development" matches are done, not yet finalised. A decision will be made after Williams and his assistant Todd Blackadder have assessed the final performances against the Waratahs tomorrow night.

Meantime, Charlie Hodgson hopes to relaunch his international career on Saturday and cast off the tag of English rugby's forgotten man.

It is more than a year since Sale Sharks fly-half Hodgson last wore the England jersey in a Test match.

And his scintillating debut, when he scored a red rose record 44 points against Romania at Twickenham, seems an age ago. Hodgson has won just seven more caps since that 134-0 Romanian romp in November, 2001, predictably playing second fiddle to Jonny Wilkinson, but also having paid a hefty price for two knee injuries.

Appropriately enough, Hodgson will run out at the so-called House of Pain Carisbrook in Dunedin and an appointment with the All Blacks, if he wins head coach Sir Clive Woodward's selection vote above number 10 incumbent Olly Barkley.

Elsewhere, Iestyn Harris has moved a step closer to returning to rugby league after the Welsh Rugby Union revealed he wants to quit their code.

The Cardiff Blues centre could be poised to sign for Bradford Bulls after instructing his solicitors to start negotiations to release him from his rugby union contracts this week.

WRU chief David Moffett said: "we have had a letter from his lawyers, but haven't heard anything from Iestyn."