WHEN you are trying to perfect a fast, attacking style, you want a playing surface that is conducive to a high-tempo game. In Rugby Park, where they will play Georgia in Saturday’s third and final Autumn Test, Scotland have surely found that surface.

Milton Haig, Georgia’s head coach, complained about the choice of venue a couple of weeks ago, claiming it was “to some extent disrespectful” not to invite his team to play at Murrayfield. Every visiting side would no doubt prefer to play at the national stadium, but there was perhaps also an underlying element of worry in Haig’s discontent. His team at their best play a slow, power-based game, and the Kilmarnock pitch will do little to help them carry that out.

Scotland centre Alex Dunbar, for one, is sure that his own team will feel right at home at Rugby Park. The Glasgow Warriors player and many of his team-mates are now used to playing on the new artificial pitch at Scotstoun, and there are several other grounds in the PRO12 which have also forsaken grass.

Nonetheless, at the same time Dunbar knows that the home team cannot afford to play too unstructured a game against a team as powerful as the Georgians. The aim may be to move the visitors’ pack around in an attempt to tire them out, but there will still be times when Scotland will have to take them on up front and at least aim for set-piece parity. Just because the pitch is to your liking does not mean that the opposition will play along.

In other words, a balanced approach will be called for. Yes, be aware that the pitch plays to your strengths, and be prepared to exploit your opponents’ unfamiliarity with it. But at the same time, remember to be patient, and build your attacks carefully.

“You just have to watch your game management,” Dunbar said when asked if Kilmarnock’s plastic pitch would suit Scotland. “We found when we played down at Cardiff [where there is also an artificial surface], early doors we got a bit loose because you can run and step on it a bit quicker and you can get a bit carried away. We've played on enough pitches now to know how to play our own style.

“Obviously Scotstoun is finally bedded in and playing well now. There are little differences for the back three. The ball bounces slightly different - sometimes it kicks on and bounces higher. There are just small changes. For us guys in the middle and the forwards it's not much different. Most pitches are good quality these days.

“Certainly the way we want to play you don't want to get bogged down on a sh** pitch. There's very little difference when we're running and stepping on these pitches now. From our point of view it doesn't make a massive difference for us backs. Some forwards say they get sore feet wearing studs.”

Georgia enhanced their already considerable reputation for being strong up front at the weekend when they beat Samoa 20-16. Their pack did all the damage, scoring one try with a pushover and being awarded the other when their scrum was illegally stopped just a couple of metres from the line. But Dunbar warned that their backs should not be underestimated.

“They have some dangerous runners,” he insisted. “They play very direct. We'll have to be on the top of our game, start well and put them under a bit of pressure. When we defend well and put teams under pressure we get some good outcomes.

“We have a very dangerous back three and when we throw the ball about we can cause teams problems. We need to do the basics well and give these boys a chance.

“They'll bring different challenges, but we've got to stick to our own gameplan, our strengths, and execute what we do well. We've got very dangerous backs, so it's up to us get the ball out wide to these guys and create some chances."

Dunbar is used to playing with Mark Bennett outside him for both the Warriors and Scotland, but in the last two internationals he has had a new partner in Huw Jones. The outside centre scored two tries on his home debut against Australia, and laid on Scotland’s only try in the win against Argentina. Although the pair had not played as a centre combination beforehand, Dunbar said it had been fairly easy finding an understanding with Jones, and that communication was the key.

"It's been good,” he added. “I'd not played with him before a couple of weeks ago. He's got good feet, pace and hands.

“It's good playing inside him - he's constantly talking and helps organise stuff when people are getting tired. Communication is the most important thing. If you're always talking then you know where each other is going to be.”

Jones is a doubt for Saturday after injuring a foot in the win against the Pumas. Lock Grant Gilchrist, centre Pete Horne and hooker Fraser Brown all picked up dead legs in the same game but should be available. The team will be announced at lunchtime today.