Former Scotland captain Al Kellock regards next week’s Test against Australia as the start of his struggling side’s battle to begin their climb back up the rugby world rankings.
Kellock took over as captain in the famous 9-8 victory over the Wallabies in Edinburgh in 2009, after starting skipper and halfback Chris Cusiter was forced off by an injury.
He felt Scotland were building something special following that win, but they have fallen away in recent months, losing seven straight games to slump to 12th in the rankings.
“We are all very disappointed with the way the last year has gone especially because probably since that game at Murrayfield against Australia, we’ve been really building something a little bit special,” Kellock told AAP.
“We climbed to our highest ever world ranking, but in the last year or so it’s drifted away.
“We’ve got to get it back where we want it and that starts next Tuesday night.”
Kellock rated Australia an outstanding and well organised team.
“We know we’ve got to be at our best if we’re going to have a chance of winning, and that’s what we aim to be at,” Kellock said
Kellock was Scotland’s captain heading into last year’s World Cup, but played in just two games. He came off the bench in each of his country’s five games during the Six Nations tournament earlier this year.
He lost his his place to Jim Hamilton, who is unavailable for next Tuesday’s Test in Newcastle after receiving a seven-week suspension for fighting in a club game earlier this month.
Asked how important Scotland’s tour of Australia, Fiji and Samoa was to him regaining a starting spot, Kellock said: “It’s massively important”.
“It’s an opportunity with big Jim Hamilton not being on tour.”
Kellock toured Australia in 2004, but didn’t make his Test debut until later that year, when he lined up against the Wallabies at Murrayfield.
Australia featured again in Kellock’s career, when he took over as captain in the 2009 upset win over the Wallabies.
“It was a special time, to win the game was incredible,” Kellock said.
“Australia has always been a big part of my career.”
