Laidlaw earns Scotland start

by Michelle Fortune , 08 February 2012

The Scotland team to face Wales on Sunday shows just two changes to the side that were beaten by England on the opening weekend of the RBS Six Nations.


Dan Parks' decision to retire from international rugby with immediate effect has cleared the way for Greig Laidlaw to be handed his first Test start with the Edinburgh player set to start at fly-half.

The only other change to the side that went down 13-6 at Murrayfield sees prop Geoff Cross taking his place over Euan Murray, who does not play on Sundays for religious reasons.

Cross is the only change in the pack with the Edinburgh prop joining Ross Ford and Allan Jacobsen in the front row.

Mike Blair will have to make do with a place on the bench as Chris Cusiter has been retained at scrum-half, while Max Evans will start on the wing.

Richie Gray and Jim Hamilton have been named at second row, with Alasdair Strokosch, Ross Rennie and David Denton in the back,

"Congratulations to Greig on his first start," Robinson said. "He is a gifted footballer who is acclimatising very well to the differing demands of the stand-off position from having spent most of his career at scrum-half.

"Having lost last weekend, I believe the time is right to move on and look to develop our emerging talent at stand-off."

Scotland (XV v Wales): R Lamont; L Jones, N de Luca, S Lamont, M Evans; G Laidlaw, C Cusiter; A Jacobsen, R Ford, G Cross, R Gray, J Hamilton, A Strokosch, R Rennie, D Denton.

Replacements: S Lawson, E Kalman, A Kellock, J Barclay, M Blair, D Weir, S Hogg.

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