Pace in attack earns Ansbro the chance to stake a claim

ANDY Robinson raved about the form of Edinburgh pair Fraser McKenzie and David Blair yesterday, but did not include them in an autumn Test squad that produced very few surprises.

• Joe Ansbro has featured mainly as a substitute for Northampton this season, but has displayed the qualities Andy Robinson is looking for. The Scotland head coach has also called up, from top, Greig Laidlaw, Ruaridh Jackson and Jim Thompson

The only name that may raise some eyebrows in the list of 34 players, which will be cut to 24 ahead of the opening match with New Zealand on 13 November, is that of Joe Ansbro. The 25-year-old Northampton centre/wing was born in Glasgow and raised in Gatehouse-of-Fleet, but came through the English school system at Stonyhurst College and Cambridge University before joining Northampton's academy.

He has started only one game this season, a league defeat to Saracens, and may not have been in the squad had Simon Danielli not suffered a collarbone injury for Ulster at the weekend. Nevertheless, Robinson feels he can bring a Jeremy Guscott-like quality to the Scottish attack.

"We have got to look at our tactics and the form of the player," Robinson said. "Joe has been coming off the bench and playing for 15-20 minutes consistently well this year. What we like about him is his ability to defend very physically, make very good decisions either as a centre or a winger and his tremendous pace and balance as a runner.

More: Scottish Rugby

• Scotland squad and schedule

• Pressure from Duncan Weir has driven Jackson into the Scotland squad

• Premiership dilemma for Andy Robinson

• SRU looking to reunite ex-players

"Whilst he hasn't had too many 80-minute matches, I've been very pleased about the way he has played in some pressure situations for Northampton. I feel we need a player of his quality in the squad, and potentially in the team. He's got that touch of pace we need. He's slightly different to Max Evans as a runner because he'll pick an angle and go and attack. I think he is similar to Jeremy Guscott, who I played with, in that he will find an angle and go. That is what impressed me the last time I worked with him on the 2008 Scotland A tour and what I've been seeing in his performances at the moment."

When asked how many names he has already pencilled in to face New Zealand, Robinson said 12 or 13 was "probably about right". While he spoke well of Ben Cairns and Alex Grove at Edinburgh, the praise for how centres Graeme Morrison and Max Evans have developed their partnership at Glasgow suggests that the pair will retain their places following the summer success in Argentina. That tour, in fact, is likely to be a major indicator in Robinson's thinking. The coach reiterated that, when it comes to picking the team, past performances are a key factor.Tactics for the specific opposition and changes enforced by injury will play a part too.

Danielli played in the historic Test triumph over Argentina in Mar Del Plata, so there is vacancy on the wing at least for the opening international against the All Blacks, with the Ulster man not expected to be fit until the South Africa game. Moray Low's slow start to the season and Euan Murray's lack of game-time at Northampton also leaves a question-mark over the tighthead berth.

Sean Lamont is virtually certain to retain his wing role, which leaves Rory Lamont, Nikki Walker, Jim Thompson and Ansbro as contenders for the other side, and Lamont and Thompson also challenging Hugo Southwell and Chris Paterson for the No15 jersey.

Elsewhere, Dan Parks' foot injury is said to be much improved this week, which will come as a major relief to the coaching staff, although Robinson praised young Glasgow stand-off Ruaridh Jackson, who remains on track for a Test debut next month in the No10 role. Mike Blair has also stepped up the pressure on Rory Lawson for the scrum-half berth with his displays for Edinburgh but, if fully fit, Lawson is expected to start.

Up front, Alastair Kellock's hopes of recovering in time to lead the side again have been dashed and the coach insisted he needed not only to be fully recovered from his second knee operation of the summer, but also "match-fit". Nathan Hines is back in the picture at second row alongside Jim Hamilton, Scott MacLeod and Richie Gray. Selection there hinges on the balance of power and mobility.

Jason White and Allister Hogg were left out of the squad due to their current form, which leaves Kelly Brown vying with Richie Vernon to replace the injured Johnnie Beattie at No8. Alasdair Strokosch is expected to play at blindside flanker, with Ross Rennie joining Alan MacDonald in providing competition for Barclay at openside.

The coach regards Ross Ford as his No1 choice at hooker by some distance, so he is a stick-on, as is Allan Jacobsen at loosehead prop. But tighthead is an area Robinson remains uncertain about. Low and Edinburgh's Geoff Cross are in the squad alongside Euan Murray, who has featured in only five games this season for Northampton. He has started just one.

Robinson insisted: "We have got to understand that some players can raise their games playing for Scotland and Euan is one of those players who, I believe, always has a big game inside him. He has shown that over the years, certainly playing for Scotland. But tighthead is one position up for grabs. It's a spot that has not been nailed down and there is a lot of discussion going on, which is why I've named three tighthead props. All have shown glimpses of performing well.One of the most important aspects about a tighthead prop is the scrummaging element and that is something we've got to nail within the Scotland set-up."

It goes without saying that Scotland need a secure scrum to have any chance of overcoming New Zealand and it may be that Robinson will ask Murray to go as long as he can in that opening Test before bringing on Low or Cross, unless either of the domestic pair can display a real scrummaging prowess over the next fortnight.

Robinson has saved one of his three-day camps for which the England-based players have to be released, so will bring the whole squad together on 1 November. The players may return to their clubs at the end of that week, but Robinson is hopeful that none of his starting XV will play that weekend and will instead return to Murrayfield for a full week's preparation ahead of the three-match series.

Along with his backroom team, Robinson has been monitoring all of the squad closely over the past few months, so the head coach remains confident that the players will have a good idea of how he believes they can beat the All Blacks. After offering hope to some outside the squad, including McKenzie and Blair, by insisting that if they can display their recent performance levels consistently they will become internationals in time, Robinson concluded: "These (autumn] games are not friendlies. They are hugely physical encounters, and I will deal with them in isolation in terms of the tactics we use and the personnel we select, because I think they are different challenges for us and will ask a lot of different questions.

"This squad is all about the game with New Zealand. They are a very fast side, move the ball well and have played some fantastic rugby this year. If you were to sit and over-analyse New Zealand you wouldn't go on the pitch. We've done our analysis on them and we'll show some of that to the players, but we're confident in our tactics to be able to take our game to New Zealand and be in control of our performance."