Dan Parks is the reliable fly-half option to get a foothold and Greig Laidlaw the replacement wildcard to secure the win when Scotland play England on Saturday.
Head coach Andy Robinson did not gamble with the key playmaking position but signalled he still expects Scotland to open out in the RBS 6 Nations opener, whichever fly-half is dictating operations.
That will be the 66-times capped Parks at the start, with the promise that Edinburgh’s Laidlaw, converted from scrum-half to successful effect for his club in the Heineken Cup, will be the cutting edge when the game opens out in the last quarter.
Robinson also gives first starts to two other Edinburgh men, wing Lee Jones and back-rower David Denton, while preferring the capital club’s Ross Rennie to John Barclay at open-side.
Glasgow, despite being the more consistent of the pro teams this season, won the selection debate at only two positions: scrum-half, where Chris Cusiter returns, and full-back, where Rory Lamont and Warriors clubmate Struart Hogg were the only options.
However it is ex-Glasgow fly-half Parks, derided by some sections of the home support as rendering his outside backs irrelevant, who will set the table.
”You sound like (Welsh coach) Warren Gatland,” said Robinson dismissively to the suggestion that selecting Parks was the conservative option and Scotland would play a limited game.
”Think about the way we played in Wales two years ago when everyone said all we would do was kick. Think about how Glasgow played at Toulouse a few years ago when they ran them off the park. Dan was the fly-half (in both those games).”
It was, however, a close call between Parks and Laidlaw, he continued.
”Greig has done fantastically well, particularly in this last month. He’s a 9 adapting to a new position and made tremendous strides there, in particular the game he had against London Irish two weeks ago.
”What we want to do is, at the right time, introduce him as a 10 into the international game. In that respect it’s better for him off the bench.
”But this selection was made because Dan has played well for Cardiff, in the way he does, controlling and dictating the game.
”It’s important that as a team we are going forward. It’ll be ferocious and we need a foothold in this game for us to be able to do what we want to do.
”We have to balance our game in the way we play. That’s they key for us, to play in different ways, whether that’s the carrying of the forwards, Sean Lamont and Nick De Luca putting in hard work in the centre, to the quick feet of Max Evans and Lee Jones.”
Laidlaw is on the bench, however, and with Mike Blair also there the 26-year-old nephew of former Scotland great Roy Laidlaw is only coming on as a 10.
”Mike is playing well, and we wanted either him or Rory Lawson on the bench so that Greig can focus on being a 10,” added Robinson.
Jones had impressed the coach for Edinburgh in Heineken Cup games while Denton had been ”very unlucky” not to go to the World Cup, although he has been selected at No 8 where he has not played for Edinburgh this season.
”He will be under pressure at the base of the scrum but if our scrum is going forward, that will be easier,” Robinson said.
With Euan Murray recalled and Jim Hamilton preferred to Al Kellock, the intention is clearly to win that battle at the coal face.
Photo by David Davies/PA Wire