Determined Denton focused on push for regular Scotland place

IF SUCCESS does have its roots in the quality of competition players emerge from, as we believe, then the noises emanating from Edinburgh youngsters yesterday will be music to the ears of the club’s coaches and supporters.

The 21-year-old back rows David Denton and Stuart McInally are not long out of the academy set-up, but already Denton, who arrived in Scotland two years ago from school in Zimbabwe, has made his Test debut while ex-George Watson’s skipper McInally has overcome injury to re-ignite his development as a clever No 8.

A desire runs deep in both strong-minded characters, one that says they don’t care what ‘names’ might be ahead of them in the queue for Scotland honours.

Both stated yesterday that they never considered leaving Edinburgh as they believe they owe the club for the opportunities afforded them so far, but Denton made no bones about the fact that the RBS Six Nations Championship was clear on his horizon.

“I learned an awful lot from being in the World Cup camp,” he said. “Working under the Scotland coaches and with such good players, it was easy to learn. I am a lot stronger, faster and fitter now and am feeling confident. The mood around Edinburgh is so good that you can feel in the next few years we are going to be a strong team.

“The Six Nations is definitely in my sights. I’m going to have to play very well because there is massive competition. But that is something I’m always thinking about, playing well so that Edinburgh can get a good win and putting pressure on the others that want to play for Scotland.”

Behind a struggling pack, Edinburgh have just two wins from six so far, but McInally insisted that that did not mean World Cup men would walk straight back in.

“These guys have come back and there is no doubting their quality,” he said. “I view their return as a positive because it allows you to properly gauge where you are now.

“Netani [Talei] did well captaining Fiji and it’s for me to learn from him, but it’s also about me trying to push him out of the way.”