Cameron Redpath ticked all the necessary boxes in two weeks in Scotland training camp to convince Gregor Townsend to put him straight into action against England at Twickenham.
The 21-year-old centre answered any questions about “mindset and skillset”, his competitive drive and his integration with his new team mates to warrant an immediate international debut in the Calcutta Cup match. Against the country he might well have played for, to boot.
It’s a delicious extra twist to the ancient fixture, 150 years old this year.
The thought of England coach Eddie Jones bristling a little at this selection adds a certain frisson for Scottish fans. Jones repeatedly called in Redpath to train with England and tried to get him on a South African tour when the player was just 18. .
But that doesn’t concern Townsend, who has seen the son of his old international half-back partner Bryan Redpath grow into an international class player.
‘Potential brought into the here and now’
“We saw a lot of potential at England Under-20s and when he broke into the Sale team,” said Townsend. “That potential has been brought into the here and now with the way he’s been playing this and last year.
“We had to see how he fitted in with the group, and then he played for Bath on Friday night.
“He came on with his team 40 points down and took the game to the opposition. That was on the back of a challenging week, being up here with us and then having to return to Bath.
“That shows the kind of competitor Cam is. His skillset is outstanding: a very good running game, pass off either hand, and a short kicking game.
“Both those areas – skillset and mindset – as well as how he’s integrated with players on and off the field. They’ve led us to the strong belief he will go well at test level.”
‘We want that for him’
The absence of any fans in the cavernous Twickenham did not make it an easy decision for the head coach, he insisted.
“It probably helps anyone who is making their debut away from home,” conceded Townsend. “The downside is you lose what you normally get for a debut, like the anthems and getting your cap at the dinner.
“It feels more like a neutral venue. If it feels like just another game then that’s all for the best, we want that for him. And what he’s been doing over the last couple of years is what we want to see in a Scotland jersey.”
Redpath’s selection alongside the restored Finn Russell suggests Scotland could open out again in attack in 2021. Last year was mostly spent establishing a defensive foundation.
Renewed accent on attack
“That’s the hope and the aim,” said the head coach. “We’ve got some outstanding attacking players in our backline and throughout the team. If weather conditions allow we want them to express themselves.
“If you make more line-breaks than the opposition and score more tries then you are going to win games. We didn’t always get that right in the Autumn.
“But we learned a lot about ourselves, where the game is going and where there are opportunities within a game.”
The creative potential of a Russell and Redpath midfield, with the assurance of Chris Harris– “one of the best defensive centres in world rugby” – outside them, also convinced Townsend.
“Cam will feel really comfortable that the player inside him is constantly talking to him and highlighting opportunities,” said the coach. “Finn will be relaxed with Cam on the field. Chris is a relaxing presence outside him because he’s so in control defensively.
“I think it’s a really good time for Cam to play because we have those two guys either side of him.”
Finn’s brain ‘works fast’
Russell’s return is welcome and “he can’t wait to play” said Townsend.
“Finn’s trained outstandingly well,” he said. “He has brought energy, been hugely positive and led in a number of areas, and his accuracy has been superb. He can’t wait to play. He’s really enjoyed being here and with his team-mates.
“He’s added parts to his game. Not just the skill of executing a kick – he could do that two or three years ago – but when and where to execute it.
“His brain works very fast – looking at how a defence is shaped, what he’ll do in this and the next phase.
“He’s bringing all that into skill execution much quicker and much more regularly. His running game is a really underrated part of his play. We’d certainly encourage him to run at any opportunity this weekend.”
Ritchie and Fagerson hold their spots
There were few other contentious selection issues. As Darcy Graham has been out for almost a month, Sean Maitland is preferred on the wing. But Jamie Ritchie “has credit in the bank” and so starts having only played one game since mid-December.
“From what we see in the GPS and talking to Jamie, he’s in a really good place to last 80 minutes and play really well,” said Townsend.
Gary Graham couldn’t quite force Matt Fagerson out from No 8. The Newcastle player will be on the bench with the other thirty-somethings – the recalled Richie Gray, uncapped replacement hooker Dave Cherry and the perennial WP Nel.
Scotland team: Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs, capt); Sean Maitland (Saracens), Chris Harris (Gloucester), Cameron Redpath (Bath), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh); Finn Russell (Racing 92), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors); Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh), George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors); Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs); Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors).
Replacements: Dave Cherry (Edinburgh), Oli Kebble (Glasgow Warriors), WP Nel (Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Gary Graham (Newcastle Falcons), Scott Steele (Harlequins), Jaco van der Walt (Edinburgh), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors).
