Allan Massie: Godman looks to have edge over Parks in battle for the pivotal Scotland stand-off role

Published on Friday 2 January 2009 22:23

EDINBURGH had so much the better of the first leg of the Inter-City Cup that they looked in a different class from Glasgow. Nevertheless, writing this some hours before the return match, any assessment of the relative standing of the two teams must be provisional.

Glasgow can play much better than they did at Murrayfield. Their performance away to Bath made that evident. Moreover, one wonders how last week's game might have developed if Kelly Brown had been awarded the try he was refused at the beginning of the second half. It was certainly a marginal call and the TV replays suggested to me that he had indeed scored.

These games are inevitably seen as the equivalent of the old national trials held at the same time of the year. Admittedly several likely starters against Wales on 8 February are missing, either because of injury (Chris Paterson, Rory Lamont) or because they play their club rugby outwith Scotland: Nathan Hines, Sean Lamont, Euan Murray, Simon Taylor, Simon Danielli. There were, however, several interesting individual duels.

Phil Godman had a much better game than Dan Parks, and must surely have cemented his place in the Scotland XV – unless of course fortunes were reversed yesterday afternoon. There are still doubts about Godman's reading of the game, and his kicking from hand remains erratic, but he does get his line moving admirably, while the pass with which he created the opportunity for Simon Webster to score was delightfully daring. On another day, of course, it might have been a pass to nobody or nowhere. In contrast Parks looked thoroughly out-of sorts and some of his passing – let alone the off-load gratefully snaffled by the ever-alert Mike Blair – was truly dreadful. Graeme Morrison had to check his run four or five times in order to collect the pass from his fly-half. Since he is a player whose ability to break the line depends on taking the ball at speed rather than on any nimbleness of foot, it was no wonder he looked aggrieved.

As a result Nick de Luca had the better of the battle of the 12s. His first international experiences last year were unhappy, but he seems to have put that memory behind him, and is fulfilling the promise he showed with the Borders. In the outside centre position Ben Cairns just shaded the duel with Max Evans, though Evans made one lovely break. Cairns runs off the ball more intelligently, and it is likely that the Edinburgh pair, who have developed such a good understanding and play so well off each other, will be chosen against Wales. It's a fascinating question however, and one would think it probable that Frank Hadden will go for one or other of the club pairings rather than splitting them.

As for the wings, with Rory Lamont and Nikki Walker out, the combination of Thom Evans and Sean Lamont – pace and power – looks attractive, though one shouldn't forget that Simon Danielli has been playing great stuff for Ulster.

The Scotland front five now pick themselves: Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford, Euan Murray, Nathan Hines, Jim Hamilton, and that is a very pleasant position to be in. Frank Hadden will be keeping fingers crossed that all escape injury or suspension for some misdemeanour.

It's a different story with the back-row where competition is now as fierce as it was in the 1980s when selectors enjoyed an embarrassment of riches with David Leslie, Iain Paxton, John Beattie (senior), Jim and Finlay Calder, Derek White, John Jeffrey, Derek Turnbull to choose from. The position is similar now. (Why is it, I wonder, that we have almost always produced more top-class back-row forwards and scrum-halves than midfield backs?) John Barclay has written himself into the team – especially with the unfortunate Ross Rennie being out of action again, but choosing which of the following to leave out is very difficult: Simon Taylor, Ally Hogg, Alastair Strokosch, Jason White, Kelly Brown. Two will play, one will be on the bench, probably along with Scott Gray as open side cover for Barclay, and two – Jason White and Kelly Brown? – will be unfortunate.

Meanwhile here is a XV of players who probably won't make the international 22 on 8 February: Stephen Jones; Simon Danielli, Rob Dewey, Andy Henderson, Simon Webster; Gordon Ross (or David Blair), Rory Lawson (or Chris Cusiter); Gavin Kerr, Dougie Hall (or Fergus Thomson), Moray Low, Alastair Kellock, Scott McLeod, Jason White, John Beattie (junior), Kelly Brown.

Many worse XVs have taken the field in Scotland colours. We have at least greater strength in reserve than we've had for a long time; and this itself is encouraging.