Dickinson return a boost for club and country
ALASDAIR Dickinson will give Scotland a timely Six Nations boost when he returns to action for Edinburgh in their winner-takes-all European Challenge Cup showdown against Grenoble tomorrow night. The 52-times capped loose-head prop, above, has been sidelined for the past seven weeks after tearing his calf against Ulster in December. So he was relieved when medics gave him the all-clear to play a key role in a match Alan Solomons’ team must win to automatically qualify for the quarter-finals. Dickinson, 32, is keen to make an impression in the Stade des Alpes — not just to help the capital club progress to the knockout stages but to show Vern Cotter he should keep his starting place in the front row for next month’s Six Nations opener against England at BT Murrayfield. ‘Getting old is not good and you have to look after your body a bit more,’ he said, ‘but, hopefully, I can now play against Grenoble and get back into action before the Six Nations. ‘Being out injured means I’m champing at the bit to get back for Edinburgh and I hope to put myself forward for Scotland selection. ‘This weekend’s match is pretty much a winner-takes-all and I want to be involved. ‘I know there has been some chat that we could come second in our European group and still qualify as one of best runners-up, but we can’t leave anything to chance. ‘We’re just looking at this game as a straight head-to-head with the winners going through to the quarter-finals. ‘It’s going to be tough. Grenoble are top of the group, ahead of us by one point, but a win is the only thing on our minds.’ Solomons is set to bring back all of his big guns, including Dickinson, flanker John Hardie, centre Matt Scott and prop WP Nel. Hooker Ross Ford is to undergo a late fitness test and, if he gets the green light, will be part of a front row with Nel and Dickinson that could lay the foundations for an Edinburgh win. The same front row which performed so impressively for Scotland during the World Cup, it has been one of the main reasons Dickinson signed a contract extension on Christmas Eve which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2019. ‘The fact our set-piece is doing so well is giving me a great deal of satisfaction,’ said Dickinson, who has spent six years with Edinburgh in two separate spells. ‘In years gone by, that was an area we struggled in. ‘It’s good to make some headway at the scrum and Ross and WP have been immense. The guys who played when we were at the World Cup have been excellent, which shows our strength in depth. ‘We’ve also got younger players like Rory Sutherland, who is a great kid and deserves to be in the Scotland squad for this Six Nations. ‘When I was offered a new deal I didn’t hesitate, largely because of the way the club is progressing.’ Dickinson was part of the Edinburgh team who lost in the European Challenge Cup Final to Gloucester last season. ‘Last year we had a great run to the Final and we came up just short,’ he said. ‘To back that up by getting to the quarter-finals this season will be tough, but fantastic for the club. ‘It would add to the momentum we’ve got going. We’re doing well in the Pro12 and winning the 1872 Cup over the New Year only added to the confidence in the camp.’