Sponsorship of rugby Tests safe despite HBoS takeover

THE SRU is confident the underwriting of this Autumn's three Tests will hold good despite sponsor Bank of Scotland being taken over last week.

Doubts were thrown up over the backing for matches against New Zealand, South Africa and Canada in November once it had been confirmed that the takeover deal had gone ahead.

However, a spokesman for the Scottish Rugby Union fears, saying: "Our contract goes beyond next season."

It is possible, however, that the matches will be promoted under a new corporate banner.

"We are waiting to hear if there is to be any re-branding," added the spokesman.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Scotland coach Frank Hadden will arrive at Murrayfield in the dark today over how many exiled players will attend the first international squad session of the season.

Hadden has named an enlarged squad of 50 players partly to cover any absences brought about by the possibility of clubs refusing to release players for training.

An SRU spokesman admitted the only way of knowing was when players started to arrive for the session which was due to get under way at 9.30am.

Of the international contingent who are home-based, Edinburgh players were expected to have a spring in their step following a morale-boosting 32-12 home win over Scarlets.

The up-beat mood has been summed up Ally Hogg, who told the team web-site: "It was a good performance. The boys really stepped up from last week and it was a lot better all-round. The defence was a lot better, although we can still improve. We ran better lines in attack and I think we executed the game better than we did previously. It was our first win of the season and hopefully we can kick on from here. I think the guys really fronted up; I thought we scrummaged really well. It was pleasing to do so well.

"We acknowledge that the line-out still needs to be worked on."

Edinburgh now face a trip this Friday to Dragons.

Hogg said of line-out concern: "Hopefully we can analyse that and get it right at Dragons."

The honour of scoring Edinburgh's first try of the season fell to prop Allan "Chunk" Jacobsen and Hogg said: "Chunk's try really lifted the players' confidence because we had a lot of pressure. If we had not got any reward from that pressure then it would have been frustrating. That is what we needed. Chunk took the try well and that gave us the confidence to get the quick score after that."