Southwell will try, try, try again

Published on Tuesday 13 January 2009 09:31

SCORING three tries in four games has taken Hugo Southwell to the top of Edinburgh Rugby's try-scoring charts and the international utility back is loving every moment of his success.

Missing for four matches during the Autumn, 28-year-old Southwell has burst back in style and against Ulster last weekend overtook Mike Blair, Geoff Cross, Andy Turnbull, Nick De Luca and Ben Cairns, all of whom have posted two tries so far this season for Edinburgh.

But while taking satisfaction from his response, Southwell makes it clear he is not ready to sit on any laurels.

"Personally it has been a tough season leading into the last three or four weeks.

"But to have got the starts and to be scoring tries – a lot of people get judged on tries especially in the back three – and to score three in four games is pretty good going by anybody's standards.

"I had to work hard to get back in but I think I have taken my chance.

"I am loving it. In the past I have not always been scoring as much as I would have liked but to be getting there consistently gives you a great feeling.

"I am putting in some good counter attacks and my kicking is as strong as it has been."

The form being shown by Southwell is particularly timely given the Lions are due to tour South Africa at the end of this season and another Scot who is shaping up as a candidate, according to a former colleague, is Northamption wing Sean Lamont.

Backing Lamont's chances is former All Blacks star Mark Robinson who played at scrum-half with Northampton prior to moving to Wasps during last summer. And he believes Lamont can be one of the wingers named as part of coach Ian McGeechan's squad.

"There are a lot of good wingers about because it's an area where British and Irish teams are strong. But if Sean scores a lot of tries in the upcoming Six Nations then he'll have a great chance of going on the tour."

Edinburgh try scorers for 2008-09

3: Southwell. 2: Cairns, De Luca, Robertson, M Blair, G Cross. 1: Webster, Paterson, Jacobsen, J Hamilton, penalty try.