EDINBURGH prop Gavin Kerr will not lack motivation when he lines up in tomorrow's Magners League clash with Ulster at Ravenhill.
The 31-year-old is in the XV for the first time this season and knows that he must seize the opportunity if he wants to stake a claim for an extended run in the side and improve the chances of adding to his haul of 50 Scotland caps in the autumn i
nternationals.
"I'm just pleased to get a start," said Kerr, who underwent a routine ankle operation during the summer and has had only minimal involvement in the opening league fixtures, with an appearance as a substitute in the win over Scarlets and a role as unused substitute against Munster and in last week's defeat against Newport Gwent Dragons.
"Now I want to take my chance. I know we lost a couple of props at the end of last season when Craig (Smith] and Gusto (Allori] left, but there is still really good competition for places, and Geoff Cross has been playing very well."
That healthy state of affairs meets with Kerr's approval as he explained: "It means that everybody has to be playing at their best and it also means that there aren't people who are thinking that you are automatically being picked."
The main objective for Kerr and his colleagues will be to bounce back from another disappointing outing against Dragons and post their second win of the season.
Having watched the 11-9 defeat from the bench, he shared in the pain, as he acknowledged saying, "The main feeling was frustration that we hadn't taken our chances. In the first half especially, we were looking good and we could have scored two or three times. We now need to get over that hurdle. We have all had a good look at ourselves and it really is important for us to get things right against Ulster."
The Irish province, now under former Scotland coach Matt Williams, currently languish at the foot of the table without a win, although they have taken narrow defeat bonus points from three of their four losses.
Kerr expects a tough encounter, saying, "It's a big game for them as well as for us. They have some very good players, especially in the pack. It's going to be a tough task for our forwards. We know that every game starts up front and we need to provide a good platform if we are going to win."
From a personal perspective, Kerr – who has started to prepare for life after rugby by studying for a degree in building surveying – knows that he will have limited opportunities to convince Scotland coach Frank Hadden that he is worthy of a place in the national set up for the clash with the All Blacks at Murrayfield on November 8.
"The competition is not only from my team mates at Edinburgh," he added. "There are also the guys in England and at Glasgow. It means that you have to be producing your best performances every week.
"I still have ambitions to play for Scotland and that gives me the extra incentive to do well. But I know I have to be on the park to do it, so the main thing is to do well for Edinburgh." A win for the Capital side will, Kerr insists, be the only objective on his mind when he takes to the field in front of what is expected to be a vociferous five-figure crowd. Despite having played under the Ulster coach at international level, the player says there is no "Williams" factor.
"I haven't really thought about that. I never had any problems with him so it's not an issue. I don't need any more motivation to play well. It's just another big game for me."
Kerr's promotion to the starting line up in place of Cross is one of eight changes to the Edinburgh side, with Jim Thompson making his first start at full back for the injured Chris Paterson and Scott Newlands replacing Alan MacDonald, who has also been forced out, while John Houston, Andrew Kelly and Ben Gissing all return and the Blair brothers, David and Mike, link up at half back.
• Edinburgh: J Thompson, J Houston, H Southwell, N De Luca, M Robertson, D Blair, M Blair, A Jacobsen, A Kelly, G Kerr, J Hamilton, B Gissing, M Mustchin, A Hogg, S Newlands. Subs: R Ford, G Cross, C Hamilton, C Fusaro, G Laidlaw, P Godman, C MacRae.
The full article contains 765 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
