Paterson says Edinburgh’s world-class back three are helping him improve his game

Edinburgh full-back Harry Paterson, who has been called into the Scotland squad for the first time for the Six Nations Championship, has admitted that he is “fairly happy” with his club form this season.

However, the 22-year-old – who can also play on the wing – insisted he is far from being the finished article. And he said that a lot of the progress he has made this season has been thanks to his world-class backthree team-mates – Argentina’s

Emiliano Boffelli and Scotland wingers Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe.

“It’s unbelievable how lucky we are to have that back three,” Paterson said on Monday, before his place in the Scotland squad was confirmed.

“Even with Blair Kinghorn gone now it’s still stacked. There is a slight language barrier with Boffelli, but he’s a great guy and always keen to discuss things with me. So I learn a lot from Boff, especially in the air.

“I’ve been fairly happy with my performances,” he continued when asked to assess his season so far. “But I’m still very inexperienced in a lot of ways, and I’ve got a lot to learn.

“There are always going to be little things I can improve on. I need to be a bit better in the air, which is something I consider a strength of mine, so I was a wee bit let down at the weekend [against Gloucester] that that wasn’t up to scratch from me.”

If Graham needs to rest a quad niggle, Paterson will start tomorrow night’s Challenge Cup pool decider against Scarlets. Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt, who announces his team for the game in Wales at lunchtime, said he has every confidence in his ability.

“He’s done extremely well,” Everitt said. “You can see he’s full of rugby. Every time he has put the jersey on this year he’s done exceptionally well. He was pretty much outstanding in the Ulster game away, and then on the weekend he had some really strong carries on the wing. He’s good under the high ball and he’s got a good kicking game. He’s a valuable player to us in a team where we’ve got a talented back three, and I’m sure he’s learning a lot from the international experience that we have there.”