Graeme Morrison believes in-form Dan Parks has made it hard for Scots coach to ignore him

GRAEME Morrison is getting used to the idea of Dan Parks leaving Glasgow this year, but the centre believes his Glasgow team-mate deserves another shot at international rugby before he departs.

Morrison is, arguably, the player best placed to judge how much Parks' game has improved in the near 12 months he has spent on the Test sidelines. He has played outside him for Glasgow and Scotland over the past six years, and played outside Phil Godman at Test level.

After two strong displays by Parks up against his Scotland rival, Morrison insisted: "He's playing some of the best rugby I've seen him play at the moment and it's up to Andy (Robinson] now to take a look at that.

"For us this season, Dan has been bringing other players around him into the game, backs and forwards, and he's playing flatter at times which is what was required of him, and when he plays flat we're a pretty potent attacking team.

"On the other side of that he's got a kicking game which I believe is up there in world rugby – there's none better in my opinion. He's a good attacking weapon to have in your team.

"I'm not going to say who the Scotland coach should pick or what Dan would do if he did get to play again for Scotland, because that's not my place, but he's certainly played himself into contention. It's either him or Phil at the moment. We'll see what happens." Morrison himself is pressing for a return to the Scotland team after losing his place at half-time in the Australia Test match.

He has performed well in the derby matches, but this weekend the tests steepen further as he and Max Evans line up against Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll in the Leinster midfield. This is exactly the type of opposition that Parks and Morrison, and the Scotland coaches, need, as an ability to attack and pierce the Lions-laden Leinster back line will make Glasgow's backs real contenders for the Six Nations.

Morrison added: "It was a long wait to beat Edinburgh home and away, but the challenge now is to show we can build on that, rather than leave it as a high point.

"We have been guilty in the past of taking the foot off the pedal after half-time away from home, or after good wins, and maybe been more accepting of mediocrity. This season the guys have been more demanding of each other and themselves. We've worked hard and so deserved to win the derbies, but it also made a statement to ourselves that we're capable of doing something if we keep our heads down and keep working hard.

"This will be another huge test, but these are the games you want to play in. We're not thinking about what it means for Scotland.

"If you get drawn into thinking about other teams, your game can fall apart. We should just go out there and enjoy the occasion as that will bring the best out of all of us."