Three Future Calcutta Stars

Wednesday 1 February 2012

The Calcutta Cup is on the horizon and already the debate has started over team selection. Everyone has their favourites. That is what being a fan is about. In particular people focus on the areas that get the most headlines: the stand-off; the openside flanker; the outside centre.

Message boards are awash with opinions and coaches are said to be at sea. One man's safe selection is another man's incredulous step backwards. The fans want attack, but that is not quite the swashbuckling selection they wanted.

Of course such a debate tends to be tribal. Particularly as the 6 Nations burst into view everyone throws objectivity to the side to focus on the prospects of that favourite player for their favourite position in their favourite team for their favourite tournament. Selectors stand no chance. The truly objective? They have to listen to regional experts discuss the merits of different players.

That is the 6N, though. We love it like that. It is why passions spill over and debates loom large even after the fact. We all love the sweet frustration it creates. We all love the competition.

It also draws our attention to the here and now. No point reminiscing about former glorious representatives or speculating about who may save the day in years to come. The test is instant. Once the anthems are over the preamble has to stop because you can gauge for yourself. Is that player a good enough runner? Is their defence as flimsy as the local experts reckoned? Will the pressure get to the new caps?

Yet the future cannot be forgotten. There are 6N to come and new players will have to dance on to the stage. So a nice bit of misdirection takes places. As the debates and preamble grow to a din other players are being prepared “tested“ to see if one day they can perform amidst the shouting and the expectation.

Young future caps are in waiting for that big stage.

The Calcutta Cup is on the horizon, sure, but there is a mini-Calcutta Cup. The Calcutta Quaich, if you will. The Saxons and the Scotland 'A' team will be fighting for this one and although intense this match is a testing ground, a game to try combinations and see if the future caps are as good as they promise to be or if former caps can still cut it. There is less glare, but the promise is great.

In this environment the Scottish experts can run their eye over those even less exposed than the popular Duncan Weir or Stuart Hogg. There are kids out there that few outside of Scotland have even heard of, but if they continue to improve they will be in the running for full caps soon enough. They will also get time to perform domestically as every international plays in the 6N or is rested.

On Friday night against the Saxons young centre Matt Scott will start at 12 alongside fiery 7 Chris Fusaro and on the bench Pat MacArthur hopes to come on at hooker.

These three have shown great promise of late and if they continue to grow and learn during this international window they will surpass any 'A' feats.

Scott has been the go to centre inside Nick De Luca for Edinburgh this season. He grew up playing stand-off so has a great skill set, but Michael Bradley has worked hard on his running lines into contact which has seen him cope well with the physical aspects of pro rugby. He could be the 12 Scotland's full team have been crying out for.

In Glasgow Sean Lineen is forthcoming with praise for his young charges involved with the 'A' team.

"Chris [Fusaro] has been absolutely outstanding for us so far this season. His consistency is first rate, and he's become a key part of our back row pretty quickly. He works exceptionally hard from first to last and is now honing the finer points of the openside role. I've every confidence he will be a major player for us in the coming years.

"Pat [MacArthur] has also taken his opportunity really impressively this season, he continued. "We've got a number of good hookers at the club, and he's had to be patient, but when the chance came along during the Rugby World Cup he grabbed it with both hands and hasn't looked back. He's a guy who always wants to improve, and it's great to see him, Dougie, Ferg and Finlay Gillies really driving each other on.

The coaches are happy with how these guys have improved. The competition is tough “it will only get tougher “but these talented young players have every opportunity to perform on the 'A' stage on Friday night and continue to flourish in the RaboDirect Pro12. Do not be surprised if they are pushing to be in the full blue of Scotland in the next few years.