RICHIE Vernon has paid tribute to Glasgow Warriors assistant coach Matt Taylor and his club team-mates for helping convert him into a World Cup-quality centre. The 28-year-old’s decision 18 months ago to swap his previous role as a back row forward to train for a new life in the back division was thoroughly vindicated on Tuesday when he was listed as a centre in Vern Cotter’s 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup.

Not content with being the first Scot since 1878 to start Tests as both a forward and a back, he becomes the first ever to be named as both a forward and a back in Scotland World Cup squads. Vernon was still a Sale Sharks player back in 2011 when Andy Robinson took him to New Zealand as a No 8, but competition in that area this time around was so fierce that even previous mainstays such as Blair Cowan and John Barclay didn’t make the cut.

“I remember people saying it was a courageous choice but at the time it seemed like quite an easy one actually,” said Vernon. “I got the option to do it and it was something that always interested me. I remember Johnnie Beattie and myself were always joking, saying 'oh we could play in the centres, that wouldn't be too hard'. It was more as a joke than anything else then when I did get offered I thought I would give it a go for six months to see how it goes.

“I probably adapted to it better than I thought I might do initially,” he added. “I've had lots of little improvements to make, and I've made them. But I still feel I've lots to improve on and I’m working on that.

“Physically back-rows and centres are quite similar, so that probably was the easier side of things,” he said. “But there were things I had to sharpen up on defensively. A lot of people told me 13 was the hardest place to defend and I was really lucky to have had [defence coach] Matt Taylor at Glasgow and lots of good wingers and 12s to work with. It did take a bit of adapting to and in the first two or three months there was lots of getting things wrong. But at least I knew I was getting them wrong and how to fix them.”

Vernon’s flexibility is one of his key selling points for his Kiwi coach in a tournament where resources are likely to be stretched by playing four pool matches in 18 days. He wouldn’t rule out the possibility of making the return journey to back row forward if required. He reprised his No 8 role for Glasgow in a European Champions Cup match in Bath back in January.

“I think the versatility side is more helpful off the bench more than anything, if you've got sin-binnings or a few injuries,” said Vernon. “It would probably feel a little alien to me [to start in the back row] but I do feel like it would be something I could do. I have played international rugby in the back row before, although it was a long time ago now. Having played that game against Bath I feel it is something I could slip back into for my country if required. But I'm sure there would be lots of others ahead of me.”