Rugby: Cairns was a rock for Scots – Gemmell

RETIRING Scotland sevens coach Stevie Gemmell has hailed the contribution of stand-in Ben Cairns to a performance that roused a five-figure Murrayfield crowd over two days of the annual IRB sevens tournament.

Gemmell, who, as revealed by the Evening News last week , is expected to take up a post as SRU Head of Player Development with ex-internationalist Graham Shiel assuming charge of the sevens squad, admitted it had been a bitter sweet experience to bow out of the main event to England at the quarter-final stage then win the consolation Plate.

That effectively ranked Scotland fifth overall, though, with Edinburgh players well to the fore including late call-up Cairns of whom Gemmell said: "Ben was outstanding as you'd expect from a quality rugby player although it did help that he was the only player brought in after the previous weekend's tournament at Twickenham when we had eight or nine who were introduced.

"It's easier bringing in one player and Twickenham was always going to be a stepping stone to the Murrayfield tournament where emotion maybe affected us when losing to what was – it must be recognised – a very good England team.

"Credit to Ben, though, because the try he scored against Argentina (in the Plate final] was world class both in terms of the way he took the ball on and didn't allow himself to be isolated in the build-up to the try.

"Then, he ran the type of line to score that I would expect of the quality international centre that he is."

Allowing for the differences between sevens and 15-a-sides Cairns must have impressed the watching national coach Andy Robinson who has yet to pick him since entering the post with the former Currie player's cap total stuck on six.

Gemmell also hinted that Scotland had done enough to secure a place in the Commonwealth Games – an event for which they have already spent a week in Delhi acclimatising for.

"There is a willingness for us to go and we just have to look at how we get preparations right to do that."

The Games clash with the Heineken European Cup but Gemmell feels there are sufficient resources all round.

"How many of them (the current squad] are, in reality, regulars in the pro teams?" said Gemmell.

• FORMER Edinburgh and Scotland prop Craig Smith has joined Dax from Racing Metro.