AMID major selection problems for Scotland's Australian tour management, British Lions stand-off Gregor Townsend has been left in no doubt that he must produce a top- quality performance against New South Wales Country tomorrow.
Coach Jim Telfer and manager Arthur Hastie made it plain yesterday that a repeat of his disappointing performance against Fiji last week could threaten his chances of playing at stand-off in the Tests against Australia on the tour, where he had hoped to re-establish himself in his preferred position.
Hastie offered the excuse that the player might have had other things on his mind, such as his forthcoming nuptials or the negotiations with French club Brive that he was in the middle of when Scotland set off.
However, he admitted: ''He does have to do something in this game.''
Telfer intervened at that point, saying: ''He has to do what he's told. Gregor's a little bit lacking in concentration at times.
''He's very good at some things and not so good at others, although he did a lot of good things in Fiji, whereas we tend to remember the things he did badly.
''He's been spoken to. He is a class player, though, who will be there or thereabouts.''
That last comment could be interpreted as damning with faint praise, which would be to misinterpret the tone of Telfer's remarks.
However, what does seem clear is that Townsend is by no means guaranteed the No.10 jersey for the Tests.
The dilemma facing the selectors was summed up immediately after Saturday's 42-13 curate's egg of a win over Victoria, when the coach admitted to having the wrong sorts of problems in identifying his best players.
''Competition for places is sometimes a little bit of a drawback if you don't know who to put in the first team,'' he said.
''Competition with everyone playing well is a good thing, but at this moment I just don't know what our best XV is.''
With two tries helping him to the man-of-the-match award and a watch from sponsors Ford, Glenn Metcalfe indicated that he is ready for a step up, but he is competing for the full-back slot with Derrick Lee, who was one of the better players in Fiji and, more significantly, made an exceptionally good job of the goal-kicking.
Meanwhile, Gordon Simpson answered his many critics with an excellent performance at open-side flanker which has seen him given a chance at no.8 tomorrow. Unusually deemed ''outstanding'' by Telfer following Saturday's match, the switch puts Simpson in direct competition with Eric Peters, who was Scotland's best player in Fiji.
''We want to see how much impact Simpson can make off the back of the scrums, just to see what his best position is,'' said Telfer.
''I'm not saying he'll be in the Test team or anything like that, but we want to get him fitter.''
An apparent embarrassment of back-row riches could be reduced if Simon Holmes fails to prove his fitness for a first run out on tour tomorrow.
Though the London Scottish man has been selected to face New South Wales Country, Telfer rated him ''very doubtful'' to play, not yet having fully recovered from the sprained ankle suffered on club duty immediately before his late arrival on tour.
A decision has not yet been made on whether Adam Roxburgh would be a direct replacement or the back row would be re-shuffled if Holmes drops out.
''I would say he was beginning to be a worry,'' Telfer said of Holmes before noting that with Northampton's Budge Pountney injured, West of Scotland's John Shaw is next in line should a replacement require to be sent for.
Whether or not Holmes joins the fray, the battle for back-row places looks like one of the most interesting issues of the next week, with even tour captain Rob Wainwright far from safe since both Stuart Reid and Cammy Mather also showed well on Saturday.
Scotland team to face New South Wales Country in Bathurst tomorrow:
D Lee (London Scottish); H Gilmour (Heriot's FP), C Murray (Hawick), R Shepherd (Melrose), C Joiner (Leicester); G Townsend (Brive), G Burns (Watsonians); G McIlwham (Glasgow Hawks), K McKenzie (Stirling County), M Stewart (Northampton), S Murray (Bedford), S Campbell, R Wainwright (both Dundee HSFP), S Holmes (London Scottish), G Simpson (Kirkcaldy). Replacements - D Officer (Harlequins), D Hodge (Watsonians), I Fairley, A Roxburgh (both Kelso), R Metcalfe (Newcastle), D Hilton (Bath), S Brotherstone (Melrose).
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