Jonny Baird relishing Heriot's cup clash

Published on Friday 20 November 2009 22:53

THE son of a Scotland legend is relishing the chance to play against Heriot's in the British & Irish Cup this afternoon after forcing his way into the Nottingham team over the past month.

Jonny Baird, whose father Roger won 27 caps for his country on the wing and represented the British and Irish Lions, is hopeful of being at No 8 for the English side when they visit Goldenacre today, and he is convinced that the new cross-border competition will prove to be a good thing for Scottish players.

Jonny will be up against former teammates and opponents in the shape of Heriot's Nick Alston, Kevin Bryce and Max Nimmo and he told The Scotsman: "The British & Irish Cup is a step into the unknown for everyone because it is the first one, but I think the Scottish teams will be looking forward to testing themselves against teams who train every day. If the tournament can help amateur players move on and improve then that can only be a good thing."

There have been fears that Heriot's, who have yet to find any consistency in the Scottish Hydro Premier One this season, could face a rude awakening to life in the new cup. But Jonny's father is similarly enthusiastic about the new tournament. He said: "I have seen how club players in Scotland have worked on their physicality and fitness over the last couple of years and these matches will be a good test for them."

Nottingham have been going well and currently sit third in the Championship – the English second division – and 21-year-old Baird has been involved in their last four matches, with two replacement appearances and two starts.

He is currently in his final year of an English degree at Leicester University and the former Merchiston Castle and Scotland Under-20 player has impressed Nottingham's director of rugby Glenn Delaney since he began training with the club in the summer. "I've been delighted to be involved in the last few matches and the set up at Nottingham is top class," he added. "I've enjoyed the opportunity to train with such a good squad, while because of our links with Leicester Tigers we get a chance to learn from those guys, too.

"It took me a bit of time to get up to speed with the fitness required for the Championship and I am just keen to get a good run in the side and to do that I will have to keep working hard."

The Heriot's match kicks off at 2pm, allowing Goldenacre supporters to head to Murrayfield for the Scotland v Australia match, which has a 5.15pm start. The other two Scottish teams taking their bow in the British & Irish Cup are both away from home tomorrow. Ayr visit Doncaster and the academy/pro hybrid, Gael Force, head further south to meet the Cornish Pirates.