Scotland coach Andy Robinson yesterday confirmed that flanker Kelly Brown has more tests to pass if the player is to be allowed to start Saturday’s six nations closer against Ireland in Dublin.
Brown has kept his place in the side after recovering well from a clash of heads with England wing Ugo Monye in last weekend’s Calcutta Cup draw at Murrayfield.
“He’s still got to pass a contact test, so he’s still got to go out and do some contact work,” said Robinson after naming an unchanged starting XV for the match at Croke Park. “Already, the progress he’s made has been very good and we’re expecting him to be fit.”
Should Brown fail to make it, he will be replaced by substitute flanker Alan MacDonald, with Alasdair Strokosch still out injured.
There had been speculation that lock Nathan Hines might be drafted into the back row if necessary – but that was scuppered after he suffered a knee injury.
Robinson said of the Leinster star: “Nathan’s done really well for the team and he was looking forward to playing against Ireland as a lot of his team-mates play there.”
Robinson refused to reveal whether Hines would have displaced Jim Hamilton in the second row had he been fit after the latter gave away a penalty to England trying to kick the ball out of Danny Care’s hands.
Indeed, Robinson defended the Edinburgh man’s performance, saying: “Jim gave one penalty away and that was just after half-time. He’d spoken to the referee before the game and quizzed him on that and said that he felt that it was legal to do that from the response he got from the referee.
“However, the referee interpreted it to be foul play in the game.”
Robinson is pleased to welcome back co-captain Mike Blair and prop Alastair Dickinson to the substitutes bench. There had also been doubts over prop Euan Murray and centre Nick De Luca (both shoulder bruising), wing Max Evans (leg bruising), full back Hugo Southwell (calf) and stand off Phil Godman (shoulder/chest bruising).
Robinson said: “We’re prepared to give our players until Friday to be fit.”