EDINBURGH wing ace Andy Turnbull will be on a double mission when the IRB Emirates Airlines international rugby sevens roll into Murrayfield on Saturday and Sunday.
The 26-year-old wants to help Scotland claim the scalp he feels they are now capable of and also restore some pride to the flyers of the back division who, he claims, were upstaged by the heavyweight forwards in try-scoring terms during the previous
leg of the circuit at Twickenham last weekend.
"I'm disappointed I didn't score as many tries as Richie Vernon who put me to shame," said Turnbull of a prop colleague whose haul of five touchdowns left him in joint second place overall in London.
When it comes to the abbreviated game tries have become a way of life for Turnbull who needs just three more to become the first Scot ever to achieve the half century on the international circuit.
Also, that would enable him to join an elite group of ten players appearing in the Capital who have reached that milestone.
First and foremost, though, the 5ft 7in and 12st Turnbull aims to help Scotland learn quick lessons so that a giant-killing act can be performed.
"We have never beaten Fiji (in 15 attempts) but got really, really close at Twickenham," he says of a match where the South Sea Islanders had to score twice in the closing moments to squeeze through.
Added Turnbull: "Having proved we are there or thereabouts, if we put the mistakes we made right then hopefully we can have a right good crack not only at Fiji if we were to come across them in the knock out stages but also (second ranked) South Africa whom we share a pool with alongside Australia and Argentina."
For Turnbull that also means carrying on where he left off during a successful first season at Edinburgh Rugby.
Joining his hometown outfit after spells at Borders and Rotherham he amassed five tries from 15 starts and missed out on only one Magners Celtic League appearance.
One of those tries was in the closing 29-12 win at Llanelli where Turnbull ran in a touchdown from a long way out, sidestepping an opponent without appearing to break stride.
It was a score of the highest class and the ex-Watsonian says it is something to build on both for himself and the team. "I really enjoyed my first season with Edinburgh especially being involved so much.
"After virtually a season off the sevens circuit it is good to be rounding off a successful campaign this way and the aim is to freshen up my speed work so I'll be ready to take a good Edinburgh side even further forward in 2008-09."
Scotland sevens coach Steve Gemmell agrees Turnbull can be a key man – regardless of whether he is in a striking role this weekend.
"Andy felt a bit down in himself early on at Twickenham because he wasn't scoring tries from 80 or 90 metres out.
"It is important to remember that in this calibre of tournament very few players are scoring from that range but because he is acquiring a good reputation on the circuit he is attracting markers.
"This is allowing opportunities for our other players.
"It is no surprise that with the likes of Andy Turnbull and Colin Gregor being closely watched the tries were coming from forwards like Richie Vernon.
"When the ball was switched back across field it was the likes of Richie who was in the wide channel and able to capitalise," says Gemmell.
Meanwhile, Scotland are in action three times on the opening day facing Australia at 11.26am, South Africa at 2.30pm and closing the programme against Argentina at 5.58pm.
The full article contains 634 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
