Cross On Scotland Call-Up

Geoff Cross has been named in Scotland’s 31-man squad for their training camp next week alongside 12 other Edinburgh players and the club’s resident ‘scrum doctor says he has approached his rugby in the same way he studied medicine by focusing on getting the basics right.The 25-year-old has almost spent two years in the Black and Red since moving from the Borders and this season has established himself as a first choice member of the front row.Now, after being an unused player on Scotland’s groundbreaking summer tour of Argentina, Cross has been given another chance to sample life in the national team’s set-up and he admits he is delighted.Speaking exclusively to www.edinburghrugby.org, Cross said: Im very pleased to have another opportunity to train with the Scottish national team, particularly where the weather is nice. Im excited about it and it is an opportunity that I want to take.’the summer tour was very good for me because it was an opportunity to be introduced to the national team’s training set-up.Now Ive just been focusing on doing incrementally better each week at my basic roles winning collisions, staying on my feet and deciding where Im needed and where Im not needed.’that is needed so I can contribute to the team’s performance more efficiently. Im very happy to work hard, but it is not just about working hard. It is about getting pay-back on the effort that you put in. I feel I have_been working more sensibly.Arguably Edinburgh’s most improved player over the past 12 months, Cross attributes his phenomenal development down to his sheer willingness to learn and appetite to improve.He added: ‘the buzz phrase at the moment is for players to become ‘students of the game. Im trying to increase my understanding of the game.’there are some similarities between rugby and medicine in that in order to provide a good service or to provide a good performance you have to the basic things extraordinarily well. You have to perform well when under pressure or when you are tired. That attention to detail is what it is all about. It is not about heroics or magic; it is about doing the little things to a very high level.Scotland training squad (sponsor Murray) for the Bank of Scotland Corporate Autumn Tests_Backs: Mike Blair CAPTAIN, Ben Cairns (both Edinburgh), Chris Cusiter (Perpignan), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Max Evans, Thom Evans (both Glasgow Warriors), Phil Godman (Edinburgh), Rory Lamont (Sale Sharks), Sean Lamont (Northampton Saints), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Paterson, Hugo Southwell, Simon Webster (all Edinburgh)_Forwards: John Barclay, Kelly Brown (both Glasgow Warriors), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Gloucester), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Scott Gray (Northampton Saints), Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Edinburgh), Nathan Hines (Perpignan), Allister Hogg, Allan Jacobsen (both Edinburgh), Euan Murray (Northampton Saints), Matt Mustchin (Edinburgh), Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester), Simon Taylor (Stade Francais), Jason White (Sale Sharks)_Not considered due to injury: Dave Callam (Edinburgh), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh) and Fergus Thomson (Glasgow Warriors)