Have boots will travel

Journeyman defender Zesh Rehman has signed with League One side Gillingham until the end of the season.

The 33-year-old defender started his career at Fulham as a product of their youth team before enjoying spells at Brighton, QPR and Bradford. He has spent the past six years abroad playing in Thailand, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Scotland coach Vern Cotter has hailed stand-in captain John Barclay a naturalborn leader after insisting he was always his first choice to replace Greig Laidlaw.

The New Zealander was faced with a difficult decision after captain Laidlaw was ruled out for the rest of the six nations through injury.

Both Barclay and Glasgow lock Jonny Gray took turns with the armband when the scrum half limped off after damaging his ankle in the defeat to France in Paris.

However, it was the 30-year-old Scarlets flanker who has been given the nod to lead out the team against Wales at Murrayfield tomorrow.

Cotter’s only doubt hinged on whether Barclay had shaken off the head and shoulder injuries which also forced him off at the Stade de France pitch early.

It turned out to be the most straightforward of choices, according to Cotter, who added: “John’s been part of the leadership group and was captain when Greig went off against France, although he unfortunately then had to come off too. So it was pretty easy, all we had to do was wait to make sure his shoulder was all right.

“John has very good leadership qualities and he’s got good people around him. The group’s been developing over the last couple of years, and he’ll be tapping into players such as Jonny Gray, Richie Gray, Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and Ali Price. He knows how to talk to referees and to captain a side. He’s looking forward to it.

“As soon as Greig was injured in Paris he took over the captaincy. It was something that had been spoken about beforehand by the coaches. Captaincy is something that comes naturally to him, he doesn’t have to force it. And he’s respected by the players so it was pretty easy.”

His elevation to the Dark Blues’ highest honour completes a remarkable comeback for a player who found himself stuck in the international wilderness for more than two years.

Even when his form for Scarlets did merit a recall ahead of the 2015 World Cup, there was further disappointment in store when he was cut from the 31-man squad Cotter took to England.

But with the same terrier-like determination that makes him such an asset around the breakdown, he refused to give up on his Scotland ambitions. Asked to ponder the turn-around in fortunes, his coach replied with a grin: “That’s a funny thing, I said to John I guarantee that would be the first question.

“He’s been playing really well and he has those leadership qualities and as soon as he was involved with us it was obvious he had something, and now he’s come through as captain, so that’s a credit to him forcing his way back in there and captaining his country against Wales, where he plays his club rugby.

“So it’s a great day for him.”

Cotter will hope Barclay’s 57 caps and decadeplus worth of Test experience will ensure the leadership transition goes smoothly.

“Something that comes naturally to him, he doesn’t have to force it”

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