Blair switch project could help end the capital horror run
BLAIR KINGHORN has been released by the Scotland squad to play for Edinburgh against Munster tonight – and head coach Mike Blair is backing the stand-off to help stop his team’s slide down the URC table.
The capital club have fallen from first to fourth after losing their last two games, when Kinghorn and many other Scotland stars were unavailable.
This is only Kinghorn’s first season in the No.10 jersey after making the switch from full-back but coach Blair reckons the 25-year-old has already proved that he knows how to turn in a match-winning performance.
He said: “He’s stepped up. The key thing is getting that consistency but I believe he’s already shown he’s capable of doing that. I’m really confident in Blair.
“His running and distribution game is really important. But something I’ve been really impressed with Blair is his game understanding and intellect. He’ll come to me with clips from training or games and ask whether I think he could have done this better.
“He might see things I hadn’t seen myself. That game intellect and understanding is really important in our half-backs.”
Kinghorn was an unused sub in Scotland’s win against England that kicked off the Six Nations. And he only got 10 minutes off the bench in last week’s defeat by Wales, so will be raring to go for this one.
Scrum-half Ben Vellacott, back-row forward Nick Haining and centre
Mark Bennett have also been freed from Scotland’s camp for the game at Thomond Park in Limerick after not getting any game time at all in the first two Championship matches. Bennett has been made captain for the first time.
“I’ve enjoyed Mark’s manner about the place and his professionalism – the way he speaks to the players and asks questions of others,” Blair said when asked why he had made Bennett skipper.
“He’s an experienced player, he’s been to Munster a few times and I think he’s got the respect of the players, so I expect him to step up. We’ve got Adam McBurney and Blair as vice-captains to help him along the way, so we do have a system around him. But I expect Mark to really thrive in this opportunity .”
Munster lost to Glasgow at Scotstoun last week and are four points behind Edinburgh in fifth but have a game in hand. They have three Ireland squad members back in their matchday 23 and will be favourites to win this one.