GRAY GOOD ENOUGH TO GUARANTEE JAPAN PLACE

JONNY GRAY’S World Cup place looks assured despite missing both games against France. Gregor Townsend suggested yesterday he knew enough about the player’s qualities without having to put him to the test in a warm-up game. ‘Jonny had a hamstring tweak at training last week but he is back to running now, which is a bonus,’ said the Scotland head coach. ‘We will see if he can get up to 100 per cent by the end of the week and see if he is an option next week for us in Georgia, but if we have any doubts about him, he won’t play against Georgia. ‘There is an element of knowing what kind of player Jonny (right) is and we expect him to deliver at World Cup time. He really looked good in training, his work rate is excellent and he is consistently good. ‘However, everybody wants to play, to put some tackles in and to be tested, and he is no certainly different. ‘That would be the better solution for Jonny and for us if he plays the last two games, but he will only play if fit.’ In his absence, Sam Skinner of Exeter Chiefs will call the lineout. Skinner is another who looks odds on to be on the plane to Japan provided he stays injury-free. ‘Sam is a second row who can play blindside,’ added Townsend. ‘He started two Test matches at blindside for us against South Africa and England, which I think are pretty big opponents to go up against. So he’s had that experience. ‘He’s really led well this week in a senior-section role and when you’ve only played a handful of games for your country, in his case five, he is leading the line-out really well. ‘Second rows tend to have the highest work rate at rucks, hits, tackles made, ball carries — and he does all that. ‘Now he’s got that opportunity to be the line-out leader which he does so well at Exeter Chiefs and he has that added responsibility he seems to love now with Scotland.’