Six Nations: Geoff Cross relishing Scotland start

Geoff Cross: Out to raise bar against France. Picture: Ian Rutherford.

The Edinburgh prop has earned reward for coming off the bench in Rome and shoring up the scrum as Scotland dominated the second half to win 21-20, but it appears he is viewed as surplus to requirements at the capital club and will be allowed to leave this summer.

Edinburgh coach Alan Solomons sees South African Willem Nel as his first-choice tighthead, but, at least until Nel becomes Scottish-qualified next year, Cross remains a key option for Scott Johnson in a propping mix that includes Murray and Moray Low.

Low is leaving Glasgow this summer, for Exeter, Cross could also be on his way south and Murray is leaving Worcester. The latter employed his typical enigmatic smile this week when asked if he was in talks with the SRU about a possible return north of the border, with home club Glasgow believed to be a possible destination.

Trained in medicine, Cross is an articulate individual but the Borderer remains baffled as to why he has been limited to just one start this season for Edinburgh and remains wanted by Scotland for one of the toughest front row battles the national side will face this year. But he is not complaining.

“You would have to speak to the selectors about why they pick people they do,” he said, shrugging. “The things that I look at, and how I compare myself to other tightheads, is to ask how is my scrummaging, my other set piece and my defensive work. Am I getting into the right position to make tackles, are the tackles good, am I doing the right thing afterwards?

“My focus is just on playing, when I get that chance of course. It [my contract] is up at the end of season, that’s true, and I haven’t arranged a contract with Edinburgh and I haven’t arranged a contract with anyone else. Those are the facts. Watch this space.”

Strangely tight-lipped, it is clear there is much talk to be had, at least between Cross and his agent if, as seems to be the case, Edinburgh are happy to let him go and instead bring through the young group of props, including Lewis Niven, Robin Hislop and Alex Allan, who are eager to make their mark at pro level.

Cross agreed, with a smile, however, that playing well against Italy and wresting back the Scotland jersey before Murray returns to full fitness was a case of good timing for a player back in the shop window.

“I would agree that’s opportune,” he said. Cross was a player who worried about much as a youngster, was incredibly keen to impress and sometimes over-exuberant in trying to do so. Now 31, he has mellowed a bit, but there remains the tigerish quality in him that he believes has only been caged this season at Edinburgh, not lost, which fuels his desire to be part of a ferocious Scottish scrummaging battle with Thomas Domingo and Nicolas Mas at Murrayfield that will set the tone for tomorrow’s Six Nations clash and the championship denouement.

“I like playing games of rugby, so I’m pleased to be involved. It’s that simple. When I’ve played I think I’ve played well and essentially my job is to keep providing reasons to get picked.

“When you are not playing regularly, as I haven’t been, the training that you do becomes very much more important. You work with your coaches to provide them with what they want to a standard that will get you selected. That has been my job this season, although actually it never changes. It is just that sometimes you are more successful than at other times.

“I cannot know whether I was the solution that the referee was looking for [against Italy] or whether what I did was sufficiently different from the guys who were on beforehand to change the outcome. What I know is that I came on and worked on the procedures that we go through with setting up right, getting in a good position after the engage and working really hard.

“What I’m pleased about is that I now have the chance to prepare for an exciting game against France and that’s all I’m thinking about right now.”