Waratahs’ McKibbin puts hand up for Scots

Departing NSW Waratahs halfback Brendan McKibbin has indicated he would accept any opportunity to play Test rugby for Scotland, the land of his birth.

McKibbin, 29, will head to Britain in the next few weeks to join English Premiership club London Irish.

He sat on the bench for one Wallabies Test against Wales in 2012, but didn’t get on and remains eligible to play for Scotland, where he left to come to Australia with his parents when he was three years old.

McKibbin said he hadn’t been approached by Scottish rugby officials.

“I’m solely focused on the Waratahs and Waratahs rugby so I haven’t thought about it,” McKibbin said.

Capped almost 70 times by the Waratahs since 2011, McKibbin has spent most of the past two seasons as a back-up to Wallabies halfback Nick Phipps.

“It’s always hard from a Saturday evening to a Monday morning when you don’t get many minutes,” McKibbin said.

“I can’t kick stones and think about that too much during the week, because I’ll just miss the details and that’s not my personality.”

McKibbin wasn’t getting emotional about his impending departure from the Tahs, saying he didn’t have any feelings of “signing off.”

Meanwhile hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau was pleased with the way he performed on his return to the side last week after missing several games following his second bout of concussion this season.

“I was a bit rusty in a few areas but I thought it was a good performance from myself,” Polota-Nau said.

“Coming back into the starting group I didn’t want to let any of the old forward pack down.

“Areas to improve just for me are at the setpiece, but I thought it was a pretty good comeback.”

Asked to rate the Tahs setpiece efforts this year he said: “Not too bad, but we can definitely improve.

“If anything we’re just missing little details and I think the detail come these rounds is going to be the difference.

“Whether my throw is not quite on the mark or whether the lift or the jumper is not jumping at the right time, it all comes down to little nitty gritty details and likewise with the scrum.”

He said he didn’t consider himself a lock for the starting hooker’s role considering the advancement of his backup Tolu Latu, who performed the run-on role well during Polota-Nau’s absence before getting suspended.

“It’s great that he’s been able to mature within the past six months,” Polota-Nau said.

“It shows by his performances that he’s becoming world class”

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