As fit-again Scott returns to starting line-up
and I’m just hoping that I can do the jersey proud the same way as I tried to do when I was captain on the summer tour [against Argentina] last year.”
The 24-year-old lock added: “The way I play I just get stuck in.gilchrist ans Scott I won’t be holding anything back. I’ll be giving it my all the same way I always do. As a leader within the team, I’ll be hoping I can put in a good personal display because leading by example is the key to leadership.
“I’ll be hoping that my performance is right up there.”
Scott got a run off the bench in the 28-22 defeat at the Aviva Stadium and the 24-year-old centre said he feels fighting fit.
“I was really excited to get a game last week,” he said. “This is probably the best I’ve felt going into a game in a couple of years if I’m being perfectly honest.
“I’m feeling strong, I’m feeling fit and feel like my rugby has come on a hell of a lot in the past two months, just training in this high-intensity environment. Vern’s attention to detail is unbelievable in training. He literally lets nothing slip.
“I feel my standards have been raised. It’s good feeling this way going into a game.
“It’s been a really tough couple of years both physically and mentally, but I do feel both physically and mentally good this week so I’m so excited for the game, really excited.”
First caps are always special, but the Edinburgh duo admitted seeing their clubmate Stuart Mcinally finally play for his country will give them extra pleasure.
The former Scotland under-20 captain and flanker has reinvented himself as a hooker and, after being an unused sub in 2012 and falling ill last week after being named in the squad for Ireland, starts this evening.
Gilchrist said: “I think if there’s a deserving guy to get a cap for Scotland it’s Stuart. He’s shown what a rugby player he can be.
“In his time in the back row I think he was up with some of the best in Scotland. Now he’s retrained and that’s not an easy thing to do.
“The dedication and hard work he’s put in to get his throwing and scrummaging up to the standard that he needs for Test rugby – well it’s hats off to him.
“It takes a hell of a lot of work. I’m really chuffed for him and I’m sure he’lll have a great game.”
Scott added: “He’s gone from being the outstanding player at our age group – he was head and shoulders above the rest of us in terms of his playing ability and it must have been mentally quite hard for him to see the rest of us go on and gain plenty of caps for Scotland.
“His thinking is ‘I could have stayed at back row, maybe got a few caps or I can stick my neck out, change to hooker, potentially get 50 caps at hooker and be a world-class player in that position’.
“I’ve got huge admiration for him and I’m sure this is the first of many, without a doubt.”