Andy Robinson chooses Chris Paterson to kick-start Six Nations bid

ANDY Robinson paid tribute to the work ethic of Chris Paterson after confirming that the Edinburgh full-back would win his 99th cap from the start of what will be the player's 11th RBS Six Nations Championship.

The France game on Sunday will mark the 31-year-old's first Test start under Robinson and only his third in the past year after he faced renewed pressure for his position from Rory Lamont and Hugo Southwell in 2009. His ability to kick goals more accurately and consistently than any who have gone before him was no longer enough to secure him the No15 jersey last year either in the final throes of Frank Hadden's time as national coach or in Robinson's new beginnings.

The fact that Southwell last started at full-back for Stade Francais a month ago affected his claims, despite the player being told it would not when he pulled on the No9 jersey for his club in recent Heineken Cup matches, while Lamont is still feeling an ankle injury that kept him out of some games last month.

However, Robinson has been impressed by Paterson's desire not simply to see out his time in Test rugby as a squad member and prove he is worth more than that after starting all three matches on the bench. Crucially, the coach believes he has rediscovered the counter-attacking confidence that makes him a potent presence at international level.

"Chris has really performed well for Edinburgh," he said. "You've got to look at players who are playing. Hugo hasn't started at full-back for a number of weeks, but Chris has played particularly well. He's developing his counter-attacking ability and it's getting back to where it was three or four years ago. That's been pleasing to see.

"We need that in the game if we want to be able to play against the French. A lot of sides are kicking the ball and the French will kick at times. We need a player like Chris to have that confidence to run the ball back."

It would be a real gamble to go into what are expected to be extremely tight championship matches without the world's best goal-kicker – Paterson's kicking kept Scotland in last year's clash with France until the final six minutes – but Robinson insisted that he was not picking the Gala-bred player based purely on that aspect of his game.

"Players bring a number of strengths," he added. "One of those with Chris, which weighs in his favour, is his goal-kicking. That's a key factor, but he's not selected just for his goal-kicking.

"Chris has been selected because of the way he has played at full-back and his counter- attacking ability. That, to me, is important to the way we want to approach this game.

"Against Bath at home we saw Chris Paterson right back at his best, in real adversity, poor conditions, but the length he kicked the ball and the way he counter- attacked I thought was exemplary."

Robinson did concede that the selection of Kelly Brown, the former Melrose back row who will leave Glasgow this summer for Saracens, owed much to the fact that Alasdair Strokosch was ruled out through injury, but stressed that Brown had forced himself into the frame by his performances.

"Al Strokosch's injury was the one that changed things (from his initial selection plan], but I'm pleased with the way Kelly is playing," he said. "It was going to be a tight call whether Kelly started or not as he's worked hard after the disappointment of autumn. Credit to him – he's had a number of man of the match performances for Glasgow and he's worked hard to get himself into this position. I'm looking forward to see how he performs."

Another intriguing call was made in the midfield where Alex Grove was something of a wunderkind in the autumn, having impressed Robinson on the Scotland A tour to Romania and become the only centre to start all three November Tests – Graeme Morrison, Ben Cairns and Nick De Luca all losing their places. However, Morrison is viewed as a reliable totem to hold the French back-line, in attack and defence, and help to provide a platform for quick second and third phase attacks for Chris Cusiter, Godman and Evans to play from.

"I took that decision (centres] around how we pick the back three, but also Max (Evans] was injured in the autumn and we need that pace in the team. To be able to test the French defence, I think Max gives us that little bit extra in the way he plays.

"We also needed a guy who can work hard and carry the ball, which is why Graeme Morrison has been selected. He has that ability to stand up defences with his power. Alex did well in the autumn, but he drops to the bench because of the way we want to play and the combinations that are there.

"It's a game of attack and defence so you have to weigh up all your options. I thought Graeme Morrison and the whole team defended well in the autumn, but we also have to improve our ability with the ball in hand. Whatever the conditions, if we want to win games we have to go out and attack teams and get the speed of ball from the breakdown and play with width.

"If we can move the ball quickly from the rucks, get our offloads going and get the likes of Max and Thom in space then we can cause the French some problems. If we can't achieve that it's going to be hard work for us."

In the battle for the loosehead prop position form swung it in Dickinson's favour, but it was another close call between the Gloucester man and Edinburgh's Allan Jacobsen, who drops to the bench. Robinson was also glowing in his praise of young Glasgow lock Richie Gray, who comes on to the bench for the first time, but said that it would take some more work yet to shift Nathan Hines and Alastair Kellock after their recent form for club and country.

The bench is an interesting mix with Scott Lawson, the Gloucester hooker, being preferred to Glasgow's Dougie Hall and Alan MacDonald winning the vote to cover the back row over Roddy Grant and Ross Rennie, while Rory Lawson, Alex Grove and Hugo Southwell cover the back positions leaving Paterson again preparing to deputise in the stand-off role.

Hunting a first opening-day win in four years, an ability to adapt and spring surprises across the Murrayfield pitch will be crucial for Robinson's Scotland this Sunday. Paterson knows a thing or two about that after ten championships.

SIX NATIONS TEAM GUIDES:

Scotland

England

France

Ireland

Italy

Wales

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