Dave Denton determined to get back to his best for Scotland after suffering second-season syndrome The team in question now is Scotland. The national squad's St Andrews training camp has just ended, and Denton is favourite to return to the No 8 berth when the Scots take on New Zealand on Nov 11. Yet there is a doubt in his mind, for as well as his ropey start to the season he also has to break into a side which won three summer Tests, including a historic away win over Australia, while he was absent with an ankle injury. Denton says: "There's a lot of pressure on me to get back into this team. It is a very tough back row to get into, as it always is in Scottish rugby. Scottish players tend to have a very strong work ethic and that's a trait that suits a back row player. At the moment the depth we have there is outstanding. It's a massive challenge for me to get into this team but I don't want to miss the opportunity of playing against the best side in the world. Assuming he is involved, the All Blacks will certainly have done their homework on the flaxen-haired forward. Last season, he was catching opponents by surprise - he was man of the match in the Calcutta Cup game, his first start for Scotland - but opponents now know that they can take the steam out of Scotland if they can hit Denton hard, early and often. He knows it too. "People now know who I am so it's going to be harder for me," he acknowledges. The way I play the game, if someone knows who I am it's easier to defend against me. I'm very direct, so I've had to add a few things to my game. I've got to start moving the ball a bit more. Can he put his own hesitant start to the season behind him? Just as importantly, can his Edinburgh team-mates, on a run of six straight defeats in all competitions, find themselves in the Test arena instead? "It is tough because those feelings are in the back of your mind," he replies. But you can't come into this with any thoughts of your club or your team-mates in the club environment. We are a team here. Everyone has to be on the same page, working towards the same goal, which is to beat New Zealand.