In his three games to date this season he's played on the openside but isn't really concerned about the switch.  " Not at all, I'll play where I'm picked." says the flanker who won his first Irish cap at Youth (U18) level as a 6 in a side that had Sean O'Brien at number 8.

The season has kicked off well for the Clanwilliam man. "Yes,  I'm enjoying it right enough," he says "Coming into this season I knew that with the World Cup. I'd get the chance to get a few games. There's still a lot of quality in the back-row so it was a matter of putting in a good pre-season and getting a run at it and seeing where that gets me.

" We've enjoyed a good run. Four games gone, two to go in this phase, top of the League, its exactly where you want to be." he continues. " Obviously the defensive effort last week was massive. A few lucky breaks like that forward pass and some good defence.

"It was just a really determined effort. And of course Ian's kicking was just phenomenal."

And what'll be required tomorrow in Murrayfield ? "More of the same really. It's a tough place to go. A tough place to win. I haven't played there but looking back recent years I think there's never been less than five points separating us at the end. So I think that says it all about what we're facing into."