New cap Kinghorn plots route to Japan
BLAIR Kinghorn knows that Gregor Townsend has put a lot of faith in him and the 21-year-old is determined to repay it on Scotland’s summer tour and nail down a place in the squad for next year’s World Cup.
Between now and next September Scotland have 16 Test matches to play before the touring squad to go to the showpiece event in Japan will be named.
In his 12 months already in charge, head coach Townsend has tried to broaden the group of capped players that Scotland have at their disposal.
And Edinburgh Rugby back three man Kinghorn has certainly taken his chance, earning his first cap off the bench against England in the Six Nations and then scoring a try on his first start against Ireland.
He knows he has battle on his hands to start against Canada on Saturday, with Lee Jones and Byron McGuigan in the mix, before further Tests in USA and Argentina.
“Everyone’s goal on this tour is to put your hand up for selection for the World Cup, everything from now on in is leading to Japan,” Kinghorn told The Rugby Paper.
“I’m just going to try and train hard throughout the weeks on this tour and put my best foot forward, then if I am selected to play, just go out there and try what I’ve been doing all season.
“People talk about being tired at the end of a long season, but you definitely just feel excited. If you’re getting called up to the national squad you’re not thinking about anything else – it’s just a massive honour to be included in the squad.
“We’ve had a couple of weeks off since the end of the season and we’ve been training really hard.”
Kinghorn is learning a lot from the switch to wing for the national side. He added: “I have played most of my rugby with Edinburgh at full-back so being on the wing in the Six Nations was interesting.
“As a full-back predominantly, I feel like I can learn a lot from working with Stuart Hogg on this tour. He is a great attacking player and he is a really strong defensive guy too as well so I am just learning little bits and bobs around the field positioning wise from him. He’s vastly experienced at international level so I try and watch him as much as I can.”
Meanwhile, former Scotland captain Kelly Brown believes this tour is a great opportunity for the young back rows to put their hands up and show what they can do.
With first choice picks John Barclay, Ryan Wilson and Hamish Watson not touring the likes of uncapped duo Matt Fagerson and Jamie Ritchie will have their opportunity alongside Luke Hamilton and David Denton. Brown, who has recently been attached to Canada and Scotland as a specialist coach, said: “The way Fagerson has come through at Glasgow at just 19 has been very impressive to watch while Ritchie is a clever rugby player.
“That can really show Gregor and the forwards coaches, Dan McFarland and Carl Hogg, what they are all about in the next few weeks.”