Scots fired up for challenges ahead

AFTER three away victories in a row, including a historic two-Test win in Argentina, the Scotland squad who have convened for their pre-season training camp at St Andrews this week might be expected to feel in buoyant mood.

With Andy Robinson in charge, however, there is little chance of that buoyancy lapsing into complacency.

With the countdown to the three Autumn Tests against New Zealand, South Africa and Samoa having begun, the Scotland coach is fully aware his squad have no time to rest on their laurels. No matter how impressive those wins on the road against Ireland and the Pumas were, the most important point about them as far as Robinson is concerned is that they are in the past. "It's a confident squad, but it's not getting carried away at all," he explained yesterday at the Old Course Hotel, where the squad are based for their three-day stay.

One way of making certain that the players do not get carried away is to make them focus on the coming matches rather than thinking ahead towards next year's RBS Six Nations Championship or even further to the Rugby World Cup. Another is to ensure that competition for places remains stiff. Robinson plans to do both.

"Part of us getting here is to look at the season ahead and look at the challenges that are there. To talk to the players individually and for them to work on their own individual programmes, but also to do some work in terms of how we want to develop our game," he explained.

To some extent that work could be hampered by injuries to some key players, particularly scrum-half Chris Cusiter, who was squad captain last year. But Robinson, having been part of professional rugby since it started 15 years ago, is by now well accustomed to the fact that coaches rarely have all their players available at any one time. He would prefer Cusiter to be fit, of course, but is confident that the squad is rich in leadership material.

"Injuries are part of playing rugby and you've got to be able to deal with it," he continued. "A number of players haven't recovered from Argentina. That's a slow process for a number of them, but you just have to deal with it. It's better to be cautious than forcing the issue."

Cusiter's knee injury has ruled him out of training so far, but presuming he does recover his fitness in time to contend for a place in the Autumn Tests he could face some stiff competition for the captaincy _ not least from Al Kellock, who led the side in the games in Argentina. "I think we've got a number of very good leaders, and the good thing is it's starting to grow," Robinson explained.

"We'll see who is fit come the start of November and we'll make the choice (of captain] accordingly. I was pleased with what Chris and Mike (Blair] did, and with Rory (Lawson] in terms of his leadership on tour. Those three half-backs, I thought, led well.

"And obviously Al, who was nominated as captain in the games, led well as well. So there are four names there that I believe could easily captain the team."

A number of players besides Cusiter took at most a limited part in the afternoon training session at the Madras College grounds on the outskirts of the town. Backs Graeme Morrison and Jim Thompson are both recovering from knee surgery over the summer, as are locks Nathan Hines and Alastair Kellock.

Wing Simon Danielli is still making his way back from shoulder stabilisation, while hooker Dougie Hall is close to completing his recovery from the hand surgery he underwent at the end of last season.

Besides those half-dozen players, a number of others sat out part of the session with less long-term bumps and bruises. Front-row forwards Allan Jacobsen and Moray Low received treatment for a hamstring strain and a groin niggle respectively, while lock Jim Hamilton has been suffering from a virus.

Ruaridh Jackson is in the final stages of the ankle injury he sustained towards the end of the last campaign, Rory Lamont has a hand injury, John Barclay has an Achilles problem and Nick de Luca is another player with a groin strain.

The prognosis on back-row forward Johnnie Beattie, meanwhile, remains unchanged: he is undergoing a programme of rehabilitation following shoulder surgery, and is not expected to resume playing in time to figure in Robinson's squad for the Autumn Tests.