Six Nations: Townsend happy to switch roles

Scotland international Gregor Townsend will play in any position for a Six Nations appearance.

The Castres star has been named as outside centre to face Italy at Murrayfield tomorrow instead of his usual stand-off position.

Coach Ian McGeechan insists the selection of Duncan Hodge at fly-half is the ‘‘logical’’ choice, and Townsend is ready to go along with the plan after missing the last two games with a knee injury.

‘‘It has been a very frustrating time. I was hoping to be fit for Twickenham, but it was very hard watching your side lose,’’ said Townsend.

‘‘Nobody wants to be injured at any time of the year, but a bit of me wishes this had happened at the beginning of the season.

‘‘I just hope I can be involved for the next two games and end the season on a high.

‘‘I don’t know if the move across the back will suit me. We will just have to wait and see what happens on Saturday. I’m just happy to be in there and I hope I will be okay.

‘‘I know my fitness is not in question because otherwise I would not be in the team.

‘‘I have trained for two weeks and played for 40 minutes, and there was no reaction. It is obviously where they want me to play after seeing the game against England.

‘‘I am obviously prepared to play where I am at club level, but it is not a black-and-white issue.

‘‘When I played there in the summer I got the ball a fair amount of the time and I came in at different positions in the summer.’’

Townsend insists the Scots will not allow the Italians to surprise them as they did in Rome last year when their first ever Six Nations encounter ended in defeat for McGeechan and his side.

Brad Johnson’s men have failed to register a win this year, although proclamations from the camp suggest they are geared-up for their first of the tournament.

‘‘We well remember last year, and they have a few good players and have been very unlucky not to get a win,’’ said Townsend.

‘‘They have been saying publicly that they won’t finish without a win, so we are hoping it is Wales.

‘‘But they have got some fantastic players. Their coach Brad Johnson has worked on their set-pieces and the scrum especially, where he also worked with Fiji and he took them to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

‘‘They produced a lot of chances and have taken them not many people score 23 at Twickenham.

‘‘Against France it was 23-19 right at the end until when the French grabbed a try.’’

end

Teams for tomorrow’s Six Nations match between Scotland and Italy at Murrayfield on Saturday (4pm).

Scotland

C Paterson (Edinburgh Reivers), J Craig (Glasgow Caledonians), G Townsend (Castres), J Leslie (Northampton), K Logan (Wasps), D Hodge (Edinburgh Reivers), B Redpath (Sale), T Smith (Brive), G Bulloch (Glasgow Caledonians), M Stewart (Northampton), S Murray (Saracens), S Grimes (Newcastle), M Leslie (Edinburgh Reivers), B Pountney (Northampton, cpt), S Taylor (Edinburgh Reivers).

Replacements: S Scott (Edinburgh Reivers), G McIlwham (Glasgow Caledonians), R Metcalfe (Edinburgh Reivers), J Petrie (Glasgow Caledonians), A Nicol (Glasgow Caledonians), G Metcalfe (Glasgow Caledonians), C Murray (Edinburgh Reivers).

Italy

Stoica (Narbonne); Perziano (Treviso), Pozzebon (Treviso), Dallan (Treviso), Martin (Northampton); Dominguez (Stade Francais, France), Frati (Parma); Checchinato (Treviso), Bergamasco (Treviso), Persico (Viadana), Gritti (Treviso), Visser (Treviso), Properzi (Treviso), Moscardi (Treviso, capt), Lo Cicero (Rome).