Stafford McDowall played himself into Scotland’s Six Nation’s squad after being handed the captain’s armband for Glasgow Warriors key cup match on Saturday.
The former Stewartry midi from Dundrennan fully justified new coach Franco Smith’s trust in him with a leading from the front performance.
McDowall steered the Warriors comfortably into the last sixteen of the European Challenge Cup on a mild winter’s night at Perpignan deep in the south of France.
He scored one try, set up another for Sam Johnson and his well judged grubber kick set up the line out from which Warriors hooker Johnny Matthews charged over for a third.
McDowall, who will be 25 next month, is one of four uncapped players in coach Gregor Townsend’s squad named on Tuesday. He has been with Scotland previously, in 2019, but has yet to make his first appearance. He played for Scotland at all three age group levels.