Rugby: Despite missing out in Argentina, Capital star takes heart for future

JIM THOMPSON has shrugged aside disappointment at failing to progress from the Scotland bench to an international debut vowing Edinburgh Rugby will be the immediate beneficiaries of new-found insight.

It seemed likely that Thompson would graduate to a first cap when named among the substitutes for the opening Test win during the recent series in Argentina.

Alas, the call that would have seen him emulate cousin and fellow tourist Rory Lawson as a full internationalist never came but far from being downhearted Thompson said: "I was disappointed not to get on as I was desperate to get my first cap but it was good to see how it works, a great experience.

"I learned so much from the senior players. I roomed with captain Al Kellock and he said all the right things to me. Rory had a word with me on the bus to the game, too, which was a great help. "The atmosphere was intimidating which we'd been expecting. Andy Robinson (Scotland coach) had played in Tucuman with England and he warned us. The noise when Dan Parks was taking kicks was brutal - I'd never heard anything like it.

"And when the replacements went for a warm up we came in for banter from the crowd."

A week later, when Scotland wrapped up the series, Thompson was back in the stands as coach Robinson altered his stand-bys but all the indications remain that a marker has been put down for the season ahead which will culminate in World Cup selections. "Every player would love to be involved in the World Cup but it's too far away to think about. I want to keep playing well for Edinburgh and get more opportunities for Scotland. We're building towards the World Cup but before then there are tough matches in the autumn and next year's six nations. There's a lot of rugby to be played," said Thomson who insists the 2-0 series win is merely a stepping stone, albeit it was the first time Scotland had succeeded to that extent in the Southern Hemisphere on tour. "We're not getting carried away; Andy won't let us." Thompson, in the current edition of Rugby World, added: "He was happy, of course, but said there are still a lot of areas to work on." As for Edinburgh, a sustained Heineken European Cup campaign stands out as a target. "Every group is tough but I know (Edinburgh coach) Rob Moffat was pleased when he saw the draw. We know Cardiff well because of the Magners League and we beat Castres home and away two years ago. Northampton will be tough but we have nothing to fear.

"We have to win our home games and then sneak a win or two when we travel away. This is the consistency we must start showing in the Magners as well as the Heineken Cup. If we do this I think we are capable of something pretty special."

"I roomed with captain Al Kellock and he said all the right things to me" Jim THOMPSON