Alasdair Dickinson was pleased with the way he performed for Scotland in the viagogo Autumn Tests, but he knows with many talented props behind him in the queue he will have to hit the ground running in 2015.

 

Having missed the last couple of Edinburgh Rugby matches, the 31-year-old returns to the starting XV for tonight's Guinness PRO12 match against Treviso at BT Murrayfield.

The Dundonian is fully focused on helping his club end 2014 in a good way in this match and the first 1872 Cup encounter with Glasgow Warriors on December 27 - and he also has one eye on the RBS 6 Nations.

He said: "It was great just being involved so much during the Autumn Tests and we took a lot of positives out of the way things went. Everyone was enjoying being part of things and I was pleased, as a prop, to be able to get my hands on the ball so much and attack when the opportunities arose.

"There are a lot of things that I can work on personally and with my team mates still, but it helps that we can head into the 6 Nations with just that bit more confidence now.

"In the Edinburgh squad I am the oldest player, which is quite scary and something that my younger team mates love to remind me about on a daily basis. With Scotland too I guess I am one of the older heads and I know that I just have to keep working hard because there is a group of younger props trying ever so hard to get their hands on a Scotland jersey.

"That is good for the team as a whole though because competition is healthy and keeps everyone on their toes, especially heading into a World Cup year."

Dickinson, Euan Murray, Geoff Cross and Gordon Reid are Scotland's four main props, but younger players like Alex Allan, Rory Sutherland and Zander Fagerson have come on well in recent months.

Allan Dell, who qualifies for Scotland through his grandmother, trained with the Scotland squad recently before injury hit and Moray Low, who already has 29 international caps, has become a key part of the Exeter Chiefs pack this term.

If Dickinson, who has 39 caps, makes the Scotland World Cup squad for later in 2015 he will be heading to his third one having been involved in 2007 and 2011.

Hooker Ross Ford, who Dickinson knows very well from club and country, is also on the verge of his third World Cup - and the prop knows the former's value on the pitch.

"Ross tends to get a bit of stick from some quarters and it always baffles me why," Dickinson explained.

"He is brilliant at what he does, works so hard on his own game and helps others out when they need it. He played very well during the Autumn Tests and it was great to see him out on the pitch with a smile on his face again. He is certainly a guy we all look to for leadership and advice.

"The front-row groups at Edinburgh and with the national side are very strong now. You are only as good as your last match as they say and I think we are all helping each other become better."