THE Scotland fly half debate has been raging for longer than most people care to remember, but today supporters at Netherdale will get a chance to see one of the potential long-term solutions in action when James King, 19, makes his debut for the Borders. The youngster, who has also featured at full back for Scotland age-group teams, is one of seven changes as the Borders aim to finish their European Challenge Cup campaign on a high note.
With last week’s defeat away to Newcastle Falcons, despite leading at half-time, ending their interest in the tournament, the return match against L’Aquila, the Italian club they struggled to overcome in the opening tie of the competition, is a perfect time to experiment and Steve Bates, the Borders coach, has grasped the chance.
“We feel this is a great opportunity to have a look at James (King),” he said. “He’s been with us for a couple of seasons but largely through injury we haven’t been able to see as much of him as we would have liked.”
King is behind David Blair in the pecking order for the No 10 shirt for Scotland Under-21s, but at almost a stone and a half heavier, he could turn out to be a more solid long-term option, though being even younger than Blair, he is probably seen as a potential option for the World Cup in 2011 rather than next year.
Still, nobody will have the faintest idea whether he is the real deal until he has played a few games at professional level, and with the pressure off — and Gregor Townsend still injured — this will be the perfect chance to find out whether he has he makings of the top-class player Scotland so desperately needs.
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Most of the rest of the Borders back division has been left untouched, though Chris Cusiter has been rested at scrum half ahead of the RBS Six Nations Championship, but there is also a radical revamp of the pack, with plenty of emphasis on mobility. Mark Blair comes back to join Scott MacLeod at lock, in a speedy unit, while Kelly Brown, fresh from learning that he has kept his Scotland training squad place, moves to openside flanker to give Andy Miller, one of those drafted into the squad, a rest.
“The selection is particularly aimed at the pack. We want Steve Scott, John Dalziel and Andy Rennick to play more rugby, so it’s a great opportunity,” Bates said.