Robinson: Making plans

Momentum in the Six Nations is all-important and Robinson knows his team selection, to be announced on Tuesday, must be spot on if Scotland are to extend England's poor recent record at Murrayfield and his side are to improve upon their record of one win in five matches in each of the last two tournaments.

Robinson labelled the English as "arrogant" after the World Cup loss in Auckland last October, perhaps giving the visitors an added incentive to end their search for a first win in Edinburgh since 2004.

There are dilemmas aplenty in selecting the Scotland team alone. Scoring tries has long been a problem - one which must be rectified for Robinson's men to turn narrow defeats into victories.

How is the crucial question, particularly with injuries to key personnel ruling them out of Saturday's match - with back-row Kelly Brown, fly-half Ruaridh Jackson and centre Joe Ansbro out.

With Brown denied his 50th cap by a leg injury which has almost certainly ended his tournament, the captaincy has been assumed by hooker Ross Ford, who Robinson hopes will lead by example and show the form which made him a British Lion in 2009.

Jackson was first-choice playmaker in New Zealand, but a niggling hamstring problem has curtailed his involvement for Glasgow Warriors this season.

Robinson regularly says he would accept a 3-0 win playing 10-man rugby, but he is also looking to establish a more expansive game and has made Jackson his pivot.

But would reinstating Dan Parks, an accomplished and proven playmaker, with 66 caps, but obvious flaws, be considered a regressive step?

It would be a gamble to install uncapped Duncan Weir, injury-hit Phil Godman or Greig Laidlaw, who has twice been capped at scrum-half, in place of Parks.

David Denton, fit following hamstring trouble, is likely to replace Brown at number eight, and be accompanied by John Barclay and Alasdair Strokosch in the back row.

Richie Gray is set to be joined in the second row by Gloucester's scrum specialist Jim Hamilton or Alastair Kellock, the squad's leading line-out exponent.

Either side of Ford in the front row is likely to be Allan Jacobsen and Euan Murray, who will be unavailable for the Sunday match with Wales but is Scotland's leading scrummager and must be selected when fit.

Chris Cusiter's consistent performances for Glasgow are set to see him land the scrum-half jersey ahead of perennial rivals Rory Lawson and Mike Blair.

A midfield re-think is necessary after Ansbro returned to London Irish due to a back complaint.

The Steven Shingler eligibility saga suggests Robinson is searching for a creative inside centre - but he is likely to be forced to choose between direct duo Sean Lamont and Graeme Morrison.

A three-man committee will convene imminently to discuss the Shingler, the Swansea-born, London Irish back, whose mother was born in Dumfries.

Scotland contend his appearances for Wales under-20s last year do not exclude him from switching allegiance to them.

He cannot be named in a team until the saga is resolved.

If the International Rugby Board dismiss their guideline, which suggests Shingler is ineligible, and permit him to play for Scotland before Saturday, can the 20-year-old handle the focus thrust upon him?

Nick De Luca, Max Evans and Stuart Hogg are all contenders for the outside centre berth.

Evans, though, is likely to line up on the wing, with Lee Jones a possible inclusion on the other flank.

Rory Lamont is another possible on the wing, should Robinson decide to pitch in 19-year-old Hogg at full-back, where a place is available following the retirement of Chris Paterson.