Danielli thanks Robinson

Scotland winger hopes to repay coach's faith by impressing against Aussies

Last updated: 18th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Danielli thanks Robinson

Danielli: Robinson faith

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Simon Danielli hopes to repay the faith Andy Robinson has showed in him by keeping him in the team to face Australia on Saturday.

Danielli made a huge mistake against Fiji during Robinson's first game in charge of Scotland, but the coach has kept him in the team for this Saturday's clash with the Wallabies.

With Scotland cruising to victory at 16-0 ahead moments before half-time, Danielli was lured off his wing by a quick tap penalty, allowing Vereniki Goneva a clean run to the corner.

The 30-year-old Ulster winger had been tipped as the man most likely to lose his place, but Robinson felt he did enough to keep Thom Evans out of the side.

"He's put faith in the side that got a win last week and, as individuals, we're all pleased about that," Danielli said.

Faith

"As a team, we want to repay that faith he's put in us collectively. After the game's finished, there's nothing I could have done to affect selection.

"I just did my review of the game and looked at that incident in particular and chatted it through with the coaches and I'll get back out there now he's put faith in me again."

Despite did provide a useful line-break option coming off his wing and, aside from his error, he feels he is worthy of his place in the side.

Danielli says that Robinson has been encouraging him to get involved by coming off his wing, and he will be trying to keep on doing just that against Australia.

"He speaks to us as wingers and a back three and says he wants us to get involved in the game," Danielli said.

"For us as players, that's what we want to do ourselves. We want to get the ball in open-field play in the middle of the pitch, not just out on our wings."

Danielli knows doing either will be far more difficult against the world's third best team.

"They're a quality side, Australia," he said. "Any of those Tri-Nations sides are tough to beat. But it's an opportunity for us as a set of players."