Scotland's Chris Paterson to join 100-test club

Chris Paterson will become the first Scottish player to win 100 caps when he turns out at fullback against Wales on Saturday.

Paterson was named in the starting team by coach Andy Robinson on Tuesday and will be presented with a specially-commissioned cap to mark the occasion after the match at the Millennium Stadium.

The 31-year-old made his debut in 1999 and has developed into the most accurate goalkicker in the international game.

"He's a great professional both on the pitch and also off it," Robinson said of Paterson.

"He thoroughly deserves the honour and the tributes bestowed upon him because of the way that he's performed consistently with a number of different coaches."

Robinson made three changes from the team beaten 18-9 at home by France on Sunday, with flyhalf Phil Godman, centre Max Evans and prop Moray Lowe all dropped.

TACTICAL KICKING

Dan Parks takes over the number 10 shirt with Rory Lamont coming in on the left wing and his brother Sean moving to outside centre.

Key prop Euan Murray is back after missing the France game because of his decision not to play on Sunday for religious reasons.

Robinson said he had recalled Parks partly for his tactical kicking.

"We needed to improve our owning of territory, winning the territorial battle and marrying the two together of being able to play with the ball in hand but also looking to be able to dominate territory," he said in a statement.

"We didn't do that well enough last week and while we showed some really good attacking intent, we turned too many balls over.

"Dan's coming in not just to kick the ball - we still want to move it, we still want to play with the ball in hand."

The former England coach, taking charge of his second Six Nations game for Scotland, was also delighted to be able to call upon Murray.

"He's a fantastic tighthead prop, he's a real rock in the way that he performs and we need that level of physicality in the game," he said.

- Reuters