Gregor Townsend has expressed his delight after Saracens fly-half Fergus Burke pledged his international future to Scotland instead of England.
Burke has been included in Scotland’s initial 37-man squad for this year’s Six Nations, which start against Italy at Murrayfield on Saturday, February 1.
Burke, born in New Zealand and capped at Under-20 level for the All Blacks, qualifies to play for Scotland through his Glasgow grandfather.
He also qualifies for England through his mother and it is understood he was being seriously considered for a call-up to Steve Borthwick’s squad earlier this week.
But having followed the player for over a year, Townsend believes it is a major boost that Scotland have acquired the 25-year-old fly-half.
Burke has been a revelation since joining Sarries from Crusaders last summer – and Townsend believes he can make an immediate impact for Scotland.
Fergus Burke (centre) has made a positive impression since joining Saracens last year
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend was optimistic after including Fergus Burke in his squad
Jonny Gray has also given the Scots a boost by returning, with the towering slot fitting again
“He’s been on the radar for a while,” said the Scotland head coach. ‘I spoke to Fergus before he signed for Saracens.
“You should probably ask him when he made the decision. I don’t think he really had to make that decision until the last few days.
‘He knew before that he was close to our selection, but he only got a place in our selection earlier this week.
‘When I asked him on Monday if he wanted to commit to Scotland, he said yes. There was no real need for him to be asked twice, “I’ll call you tomorrow.” He said it would be a privilege.
‘We have known about his Scottish ancestry for two or three years now. He missed a year of rugby with the Crusaders before joining Saracens.
“So we’ve kept in touch. He was eligible in November, but we didn’t feel at the time that his play landed him on our roster. He’s playing better and better the more he plays.
‘There is an opening in our team with Adam [Hastings] also get injured. So we think this was the right time for him. He is someone who really understands the game from an attacking perspective.
‘He plays regular rugby for a top team with Saracens. He is a very good defender and can also play as a full-back.
“We saw in November with Tom Jordan that the flexibility to play as a full-back was a bonus for us. And it could of course add something to the bank’s options if that were to happen.’
Townsend has also been boosted by the return of Jonny Gray, the experienced lock who is looking to win his first cap in two years.
Gray has been plagued by injury problems over the past two years and missed the autumn campaign as he worked his way back to full fitness.
He suffered a blow at club Bordeaux last month, but Townsend expects him to be firmly back in the picture by the time the Six Nations rolls around.
“It’s great to have Jonny back, he wants to play this week,” Townsend said. ‘He must be fully fit to train and join our group. He is now completely fit again.
‘Whether he plays for Bordeaux this weekend or next week, he can train next week.
“So yeah, it’s been an unfortunate time for him because of his injury. He obviously rested in the November period, played a few games and then injured another part of his body.
‘That means he has some work to do just before the match against Italy. But he played very well in the run-up to November. He was in great shape.
‘There was a reason why Bordeaux wanted to rest him, and that was because he had played so many games for Bordeaux, who are currently the leading team in France.
“So yeah, having his experience, having his abilities and his personality back in the group is something we’re looking forward to seeing again.”
Sione Tuipulotu will remain as Scotland captain after leading the team in the autumn, but Glasgow Warriors skipper Kyle Steyn is not involved after suffering a knee injury in the recent win over Racing 92 in the Champions Cup.
But Townsend is optimistic Steyn could still play a role, saying: ‘Yes, Kyle will be with us on Sunday.
‘He is not in the selection because he cannot train for the next two weeks. But he will be in our group. Next week we will know more about what that knee will be like.
‘He won’t be available for Italy, but if he is eligible again, Ireland may be the most realistic focus.
‘But a lot will depend on how things develop in the coming days. It’s really disappointing for Kyle and for us because he was in great form.
“He obviously missed out in November but has returned to brilliant form in recent weeks and we hope he still has a big role to play in the Six Nations.”