David Denton ready to take the next step

Or just that this Mr Kipling is good – nay, exceedingly good – at turnovers? The waffly psychobabble stuff is all very well, but if, as seems increasingly likely, young Denton is in the Scotland squad for Saturday's Calcutta Cup clash with England at Murrayfield, then he will have earned his place not on the strength of his character but on the basis of how he plays the game.

A few young Scottish players have moved into the fast lane over the past six months, but none has kept his foot planted quite so firmly to the floor as Denton. Last summer, it was no great surprise that the 21-year-old didn't quite make the cut for the World Cup squad, but it would be a major shock now if he had no part to play in next weekend's match in Edinburgh.

At six? At eight? On the bench? There are arguments for each – and even, as a very long shot, for a berth in the second row – but the one thing that is not in any doubt is Denton's readiness to take the field. He did himself no harm when he earned his debut cap as a replacement in the World Cup warm-up match against Ireland last August, and after missing the cut for the trip to New Zealand he has been making huge strides back to the Test arena.

Was he miffed that he missed out on rugby's global gathering? Well, yes and no. Having knocked his pan in at the World Cup training camp for the previous two months he was never going to celebrate his omission from the squad, but hindsight has lent a certain perspective.

"It was tough at the time and I was disappointed," he explains. "But, to be honest, it was a wee bit too early for me. I had played seven games for Edinburgh so I didn't have much experience of top-level rugby at that time. I feel a lot more confident now having played 20-odd games for Edinburgh. I am comfortable with my role in the team and am confident I can make the step up.

"Andy [Robinson] said the World Cup came a month too early for me, which was true. I was ready to play international rugby then, but I'm in a lot better place now in terms of my playing ability and mental approach. The things he told me to do specifically was to work on my fitness and my skills, and just keep developing physically, and get a bit of experience under my belt."

Denton is an impressively polite fellow. Modest, gentle and attentive, there's not an ounce of bombast about him. But there is a clear sense of self-belief, a kind of level-headed appreciation of where he stands as a player. And when he says he is ready to play international rugby, the suspicion must be that he is pushing at an open door.

Yet it took a certain level of confidence to pitch up in Scotland at a time when the country seemed to have found a back row for the ages. When Denton arrived, three years ago, the alliterative Glasgow loose forward trio of Kelly Brown, John Barclay and Johnnie Beattie were all holding their hands up for selection, and they duly proved their collective worth in their memorable rampage through the 2010 RBS 6 Nations. To be frank, they seemed to have the positions tied up for years.

Now, though, the picture has changed beyond recognition. Brown is injured, Beattie has lost form and Barclay has also been below his best. Denton, born in Zimbabwe – his mother is Scottish – and educated in South Africa, can spot a gap when he sees one. And go for it.

In his first months in Scotland he played for the Edinburgh Accies second XV. Then the Accies firsts. Then Edinburgh. Then the Scotland sevens side. Then Scotland.

"It was a bit surreal how quickly it happened," he smiles. "But I've always been confident in my ability. I knew I was capable of the step up and I was just waiting for the opportunity. Once it came I didn't want to waste any time being too nervous about it all. So I just went out there and played as well as I could."

Until Brown's injury last week, the obvious slot for Denton was at No 8. However, he may now move over to take Brown's position at blindside, allowing Richie Vernon to be the primary ball carrier from the scrum. Denton's preference would probably be to play at No 8, but his performances on the blindside for Edinburgh this season have been outstanding.

When Scotland notched their record 33-6 win against England in 1986, every member of the back five of the scrum had substantial experience of playing at No 8. There's little chance of that ruse being repeated next weekend, but if Robinson goes down the traditional Calcutta Cup route of fighting English fire with Scottish fleetness, then the evidence from Edinburgh's Heineken Cup 27-24 victory over Racing Metro in Paris a fortnight ago should be enough to persuade him that Denton is well suited to the job.

The highlight of that performance was the astonishing try Denton contributed early in the second half. From 45 yards out, and with four defenders in front of him, he scorched away on a blistering diagonal, showing pace and verve as he scythed towards the line. Granted, the Racing defence was hopeless, but it was still a remarkable expression of self-confidence by the player.

Denton acknowledges that he won his solitary cap last year in a game that was, essentially, little more than a trial match. To be chosen for a Calcutta Cup clash is a different order of things. But not one that fazes him.

He says: "Because the first game is against England, that makes it even bigger. A lot of people grow up dreaming of playing for Scotland against England at Murrayfield. I grew up wanting to play for Scotland so I shared that dream. It should be an incredible experience.

"It feels like a natural progression and that's good. I don't want to go out there and feel like it is my first Six Nations game, I want to go out and feel like it is natural for me to be there."