Mark Wilson feels Ireland's Aiden McGeady will be threat to Scotland

Gordon Strachan’s Scots won 1-0 through Shaun Maloney’s excellent second-half goal when the teams last met in Glasgow last November. Wilson worked under Strachan when he played for Celtic after moving there from Dundee United in 2006 and feels his former coach can mastermind another success. He added: “Gordon will be well prepared, I think we all know that with the way he has been through his career and the way he is just now. “I think he has done a terrific job with Scotland, I really do. In the other Ireland game at Celtic Park, I think he negotiated that perfectly and his tactics paid off. “He will have his players prepared for a British-style clash we like to see. It’s going to be a great game and I think it will be incredibly tight but I think Gordon will have his tactics spot on.” Wilson was speaking as he promoted the DPS Group Player Showcase at Clyde's Broadwood Stadium, a week-long course for out-of-contract Scottish players taking place later this month in association with PFA Scotland.

Mark Wilson has identified his former Celtic team-mate Aiden McGeady as a major threat to Scotland's hopes of collecting maximum points from their European Qualifier with the Republic of Ireland. The teams meet at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday and a win for the visitors in Dublin would boost their chances of reaching a major tournament for the first time since 1998. Wilson, currently out of contract after finishing the season with Scottish Championship side Dumbarton, rates Everton winger McGeady as one of the hardest opponents he has faced. He believes he has a key role to play for Martin O’Neill’s side as they look to get a win which would keep their own hopes of progressing to the finals alive. Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, the 31-year-old said: "He’s incredibly dangerous and I think we all know what Aiden brings. I had many battles with him when I was at Dundee United against Celtic then in training. "I think he’s one of the toughest opponents I’ve come up against and he will be no different come the game on Saturday. "He might have been a wee bit disappointed by how he performed at Celtic Park but he is a major threat to Scotland."

Mike Tindall confident of strong England performance at Rugby World Cup

"They attacked well in the Six Nations and they’ll probably kick themselves about the Scotland game with the amount of points they left out there. "Then in the Ireland game, they’ve got to learn how to squeeze and tactically play a bit different. "They’ve got two packs who can take on any pack in world rugby and now they seem to bet getting settled behind that. "He (Stuart Lancaster) has been rigid in what he believes and he’s stuck to it. People have questioned him but he’s going to stick with that and I’m sure they’ll do really well."

Mike Tindall believes Stuart Lancaster's faith in his rugby principles will stand England in good stead at the Rugby World Cup. And the 75-cap international - who was part of the squad which won the 2003 tournament - feels the fact the backs division is becoming increasingly more established will be a key factor in their pursuit of the William Webb Ellis Cup this autumn. England narrowly missed out on the Six Nations championship in March but displayed their full repertoire of attacking skills in a 73-12 win over the Barbarians at Twickenham last month. While the quality of opposition in that match slightly dilutes the impact of such a vast win, Tindall has been impressed with the way the national side have executed Lancaster’s strategies and is confident they can enjoy a good World Cup. “I’m really optimistic about how well they can do," Tindall told Sky Sports News HQ. "Even if you look at the Barbarians game, they showed you the options that are already there in the 51-man squad.