SCOTLAND captain Greig Laidlaw is confident he will be ready to hit the ground running when he flies out to New Zealand with the British & Irish Lions.
The scrum-half, who is just back from the injury he sustained in the national team’s defeat by France, has been named as a substitute for Gloucester against Stade Francais in tonight’s Challenge Cup final at BT Murrayfield. It will be his last match for the English club if they lose, but he will stay in Scotland to watch tomorrow’s Champions Cup final between his new club Clermont Auvergne and holders Saracens.
Laidlaw will be assured of more match practice if his team win, as that will put them into a play-off for a place in next season’s Champions Cup. Either way, however, he is sure he will soon be 100 per cent again, and ready to challenge for a place in the Test team against the All Blacks.
“I’m going to stay around for an extra day and travel back down on Sunday, so I’ll take in Saturday’s game as well,” he said yesterday. “The schedule then very much depends on what happens with Gloucester. If we win we go into the ERCC play-off, so I could end up being a couple more weeks down there..
“I’m pretty much there [for full match fitness]. I started last week and played 55-60 minutes. I’m certainly getting there and this week is about the best I’ve trained. By the time I get to New Zealand I’ll be 100 per cent for sure.”
Laidlaw will be hoping for a similar outcome tonight to his last Murrayfield appearance - Scotland’s 27-22 win over Ireland in the opening round of the Six Nations Championship. “The last time we were here it was brilliant - to be in the Scottish jersey and pick up a big scalp like Ireland, and for it to be an enjoyable performance. But we’re here for different reasons tomorrow.”
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