It doesn’t matter how often they change his centre partner, Alex Dunbar remains the lynchpin of the Scotland midfield in attack and especially defence.
The powerful man from Annan struck up a fruitful partnership in the Six Nations with Duncan Taylor but with the Saracens man recovering from injury and missing out, he worked in a new partner in Huw Jones during this month’s Autumn Test Series.
Jones scored two tries and an assist over those two tests but it seems Dunbar may have another new partner for the final test against Georgia at Kilmarmnock’s Rugby Park on Saturday with the Stormers centre suffering a foot injury in setting up Sean Maitland for Scotland’s try on Saturday.
However if it’s clubmate Peter Horne, another Glasgow Warrior in Mark Bennett recalled or a wildcard choice from Vern Cotter, nothing much is going to change in Dunbar’s mind, accustomed as he is to rotation of the centres under Gregor Townsend for his club.
“You’re here in the first place because you’re a good rugby player,” he said. “There are little bits that people prefer to do and some go into a game slightly different.
“Communication is the most important thing. If you’re always talking then you know where each other is going to be, so you speak to the guys and work it out.”
Jones has been an easy fit for Scotland and Dunbar because he likes his partner to know exactly what he’s thinking at all times.
“”I’ve not played with Huw before a couple of weeks ago, but he’s got good feet, pace and hands,” said Dunbar. “Best of all he’s constantly talking and helps organise stuff when people are getting tired.”
When fit, Dunbar has been Cotter’s first choice in the midfield and the efforts they made to get him back after ACL surgery before the World Cup showed just what esteem the coach holds him in.
And he should find the artificial pitch at Rugby Park this weekend much to his liking, having bedded in with the surface at Scotstoun over the last few months.
“The thing you have to watch is game management,” he said. “We found when Glasgow played down at Cardiff, we got a bit loose because it’s so good to run and step on it a bit quicker, you can get a bit carried away.
“But Scotstoun is finally bedded in and playing well now. There main little differences are for the back three, because the ball bounces slightly differently, it comes off it quicker and higher.
“But for us guys in the middle and for the forwards it’s not much different.”
Georgia arrive in Scotland with a big point to prove about their eligibility for the Six Nations, after a strong World Cup where they were highly competitive.
“They play very direct rugby and have some dangerous runners, but if we’re on top of our game, start well, we can put them under a bit of pressure,” he added.
“We’ve got very dangerous backs and a very good back three so it’s up to us get the ball out wide to these guys and create some chances.”
