SCOTLAND centre Alex Dunbar is sure the national team will feel right at home on Rugby Park’s artificial pitch on Saturday. After all, the Glasgow Warriors player and many of his team-mates are now used to playing on the new plastic pitch at Scotstoun, and the surface at Kilmarnock is pretty similar.

After playing in the 23-22 defeat by Australia and the 19-16 win over Argentina, Dunbar is expected to keep his place in Vern Cotter’s side for the third and final Autumn Test, against Georgia. Scotland are in confident mood after that win over the Pumas - but Dunbar knows they cannot afford to get carried away on a pitch which suits their new fast attacking style.

“You just have to watch your game management,” he said when asked if Kilmarnock’s plastic pitch would suit Scotland. “We found when we played down at Cardiff [where there is also an artificial surface], early doors we got a bit loose because you can run and step on it a bit quicker and you can get a bit carried away. We've played on enough pitches now to know how to play our own style.

“Obviously Scotstoun is finally bedded in and playing well now. There are little differences for the back three. The ball bounces slightly different - sometimes it kicks on and bounces higher. There are just small changes. For us guys in the middle and the forwards it's not much different. Most pitches are good quality these days.

“Certainly the way we want to play you don't want to get bogged down on a sh** pitch. There's very little difference when we're running and stepping on these pitches now. From our point of view it doesn't make a massive difference for us backs. Some forwards say they get sore feet wearing studs.”

Georgia have a big reputation for being strong up front - when they beat Samoa 20-16 at the weekend, their pack did all the damage, scoring one try with a pushover and being awarded the other when their scrum was illegally stopped just a couple of metres from the line. But Dunbar warned that their backs should not be underestimated.

“They have some dangerous runners,” he insisted. “They play very direct. We'll have to be on the top of our game, start well and put them under a bit of pressure.”

Dunbar is used to playing with Mark Bennett outside him for both the Warriors and Scotland, but in the last two internationals he has had a new partner in Huw Jones. The outside centre scored two tries on his home debut against Australia, and laid on Scotland’s only try in the win against Argentina. Although the pair had not played as a centre combination beforehand, Dunbar said it had been fairly easy finding an understanding with Jones, and that communication was the key.

"It's been good,” he added. “I'd not played with him before a couple of weeks ago. He's got good feet, pace and hands.

“It's good playing inside him - he's constantly talking and helps organise stuff when people are getting tired. Communication is the most important thing. If you're always talking then you know where each other is going to be.”

Jones is a doubt for Saturday after injuring a foot in the win against the Pumas. Warriors centre Pete Horne and hooker Fraser Brown picked up dead legs in the same game but should be available. The team will be announced today.