KENNEDY ALL FIRED UP TO FACE QUINS

EDINBURGH scrum-half Sean Kennedy hopes he can reignite his club and country ambitions at the expense of former Glasgow team-mate Ruaridh Jackson on Saturday. With interim head coach Duncan Hodge rotating between Kennedy, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Nathan Fowles, the 25-year-old is poised for a recall in this weekend’s European Challenge Cup clash with Harlequins at Murrayfield. After back-to-back victories and a total of 16 tries against Treviso and Timisoara, Kennedy is relishing the prospect of pitting his wits against former Warriors stand-off Jackson. He said: ‘I was in the academy coming through at Glasgow and played with Ruaridh, but I was just shuffling the ball at him, not having a clue what was going on really at that stage, so it will be interesting. ‘He’s a running threat at stand-off, so he’ll be looking to get the ball on the front foot and put guys through holes. ‘If you give him half a chance, he’ll take it. You always need to be aware of where he is. He also has a good kicking game. ‘When we get the ball, we need to play to our structures. But we also need to spot holes and gaps in the opposition and take our chances. ‘Hodgey has drilled it into us from the start that we’ll not change what we’re doing (since coach Alan Solomons left), just do it slightly better, and that’s a mentality thing.’ Kennedy certainly isn’t the first scrum-half to find himself battling for recognition, of course, as it has arguably been the toughest position in which to win a Scotland cap over the years. Greig Laidlaw and Henry Pyrgos are the main men standing in his way right now. Kennedy’s hopes were boosted in 2013 when Scott Johnson called him into a Six Nations training squad, only for Hidalgo-Clyne to leapfrog him. But he is keen to provide a timely reminder that he remains a strong contender for both club and country.

‘When I first got the call, I was in the academy at Glasgow and it came out of the blue,’ he said. ‘I knew it only happened through injuries and, if I’m honest, I thought: “I’m not going to play”. ‘But it was a change in standards, a good experience, and it gives you a hunger for it. ‘I was competing with Henry Pyrgos and Niko Matawalu at Glasgow. The following season, I moved to Edinburgh and had Greig ahead of me and then we signed Grayson Hart. ‘Scotland has Greig and Henry at the top of their game just now, and then Grayson, Ali Price, Sam, Fowles and me, so it’s impressive competition. ‘That’s great because it helps you as a player and it means, when you get a chance, you have to be sharp. If there is a gap, you have to be positive, whereas if you aren’t being pushed for your position, you might be too comfortable and not see things. ‘We’ve all had similar game time at Edinburgh, so I’m looking forward to playing and doing well this weekend.’