In-form McInally deserves Test for Scots
RICHARD COCKERILL has urged his Scotland counterpart to throw Stuart McInally straight into autumn Test battle.
Sacked Edinburgh skipper Magnus Bradbury grabbed the headlines in their Pro14 triumph over the Ospreys.
But Gunners boss Cockerill believes the form of hooker McInally has been instrumental in the side’s dramatic revival. And Cockerill insisted national boss Gregor Townsend should look no further for the man to fill the No.2 jersey against Samoa in Saturday’s opener.
He said: “Stuart should play for Scotland next weekend.
“He has been the in-form hooker in the country and is looking really good.
“Stuart has worked hard on his game and deserves to be in these Test matches. His ball carrying is great, he works hard in defence and is a strong leader. He has also concentrated on improving his throwing – he has the complete game, a talented player all round.
“He suits Scotland’s style down to the ground.”
Meanwhile, Cockerill couldn’t have wished for a more positive return for Bradbury in the wake of his sacking as skipper and ban. The breakaway forward came off the bench to grab the bonus-point try in their 37-10 success at Myreside.
And the Edinburgh boss added: “Magnus kept his head down and worked very hard.
“You saw that when he came on the field – he wanted to get his hands on the ball and carry hard.
“I’m delighted he’s put what happened behind him. Getting his team an extra point was exactly what he needed to do.”