Houston has no problem as Grant gets set for lift-off

Published on Thursday 8 January 2009 08:50

RECALLED Edinburgh threequarter John Houston insists old sevens adversary Roddy Grant can take his Celtic League debut in his stride when he lines up against Ulster at Murrayfield tomorrow.

Flanker Grant has arrived on the scene from out of the national academy as an unknown quantity except, perhaps, to Houston with whom he shares the distinction of being a sevens internationalist.

Houston, recalled at centre after one week warming the subs bench, gave the youngster a vote of confidence.

He said: "I knew of Roddy when he was attached to the (now defunct) Borders and faced him a few times playing sevens.

"Obviously, he is talented, one of many coming through who can be relied on to do an excellent job."

For the 21-year-old Grant, opportunity beckons in a match where Houston is adamant Edinburgh need to regain consistency after fluctuating between the high of a runaway 39-6 win over Glasgow the last time they were at Murrayfield and the disappointment of a 20-25 defeat in the reciprocal fixture a week later.

During those seven days, Edinburgh plummeted from second to sixth in the Magners League table but ex-Heriot's ace Houston says they haven't taken their eye off the ball.

"We're even more aware that mental and physical hardness has to be taken into every game because we can't just rouse ourselves when we are annoyed at having been beaten."

That was a reference to how Edinburgh's European Cup hopes had been extinguished at Wasps in December.

Houston added: "We have to take the same determined attitude into every game."

At the same time, Houston is under no illusion about the extent of the task tomorrow. He figured on the wing when Edinburgh were edged out 9-13 in Belfast earlier this season but is given his first start at centre tomorrow since the 15-13 home win over Leinster in 2007-08.

He added: "Ulster have come a long way from being on a bit of a downer at the start (Edinburgh provided them with their first win) to triumph last week at Munster."

In thrashing the reigning European champions 37-11, the Ulstermen scored five tries, and Houston noted: "To score so many points at Munster was spectacular and it looks like the Ulster players have now adapted to a new coach, who was settling in when we last played them."

That coach is former Scotland manager Matt Williams, the Australian, who is credited with getting the Ulster backs flowing under some key direction.

"A main man for me that we have to watch out for is Ulster stand off Ian Humphreys," said Houston.

"He gained experience at Leicester Tigers and certainly looks to be getting his present team moving.

"It is up to us to win more ball in the collision battles and, in looking to rectify what was a fault in that area against Glasgow last week, we need to be on the front foot so as to get the win that takes us right back up the table again."

Newcomer Grant, who was originally earmarked for Glasgow Warriors but has had his allegiance transferred by the Scottish Rugby Union – owners of both teams – while Edinburgh seek to overcome injury setbacks, admits he is looking to make up for lost time.

He said: "I missed the whole of last season due to a knee injury which saw the ligaments replaced by some from my other leg."

As part of his rehabilitation Grant, the current Scotland sevens captain, spent last summer playing in New Zealand thanks to a scholarship award.

Paying tribute to the family who made the bequest in memory of John Macphail, a former Scotland hooker, Grant, pictured below, said: "To play eight successive matches for an Auckland University club who have a record of producing the second highest total of All Blacks helped my development enormously.

"My knee is know stronger than before the injury. For example, my sprint times are faster – 4.98 seconds for 40 metres."

Besides being able to draw on the experience of playing in New Zealand, the grandson of former international referee Bob Burrell from Galashiels is also putting into effect years of training for his other sporting love – water polo.

Schooled in South Africa, Grant represented that country's under-16 water polo team on tour in Hungary and Romania at the same time as he turning out for Natal age-group rugby sides.

It is to Scotland that he has, however, committed his sporting future and he comes with a strong rugby pedigree as a graduate of Hilton College, near Durban, whose former pupils also include two recent Springbok captains in Gary Teichmann and Bobby Skinstadt.

Edinburgh: Southwell, Turnbull, Cairns, Houston, Webster, Godman, M Blair, Jacobsen, Ford, G Cross, C Hamilton, J Hamilton, S Cross, Hogg, Grant. Subs – Kelly, Kerr, Gissing, Newlands, Laidlaw, D Blair, De Luca.