Canada ready to mount a serious threat – Thomson

Published on Friday 5 September 2008 09:54

SCOTLAND have been urged to take nothing for granted when hosting Canada in this year's Bank of Scotland Corporate Autumn Test series, which also features New Zealand and South Africa.

The warning comes from Fergus Thomson, Scotland A skipper who, despite leading his side to a 26-10 win over the Canucks on tour in this summer's Churchill Cup, said: "Canada will travel to Scotland with a new coach in (former All Black] Kieran Crowley and are broadening their player base regularly.

"They have such a big country to draw from that the potential is definitely there to be a major rugby nation as they showed when giving Wales a tough time for a spell in a World Cup tie last year.

"Fielding big packs is never a problem to the Canadians so everybody who faces them has to be on their guard."

Thomson is hoping his second international season will get off to as dynamic a start as when he came off the bench for a debut in the World Cup warm-up clash with Ireland at Murrayfield last August.

"I'd been on three minutes when a chance occurred when I might have stretched out over the line to score if I hadn't reckoned a player following up behind me was better placed.

"Alas neither of us managed the touchdown, which was the first lesson of my international career which I hope to able to further soon."

Thomson, who is on the way back from a shoulder operation and looking to resume shortly with Glasgow Warriors, was speaking at this week's launch of a scheme offering fans a free Celtic League ticket if they purchase an Autumn Test brief.