Warren Gatland should select Finn Russell for the British and Irish Lions and give him the chance to prove he is capable of playing in the Test series, says former Ireland captain Rory Best.
Many have questioned if the flamboyant Scotland fly-half would suit Gatland's more conservative style of rugby.
But Best believes the Lions coach will see the value in having Russell.
"He's all too aware of the need to have players that can pick a lock," Best told the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.
"He is very much about big, physical guys that will dominate collisions and dominate the gainline, but he does like someone who can do something different, like a Shane Williams.
"On a Lions selection, if you take Finn Russell as one of three 10s, if he turns out to be all over the place and a bit of a loose cannon, then he just becomes your third 10.
"But if he hits a run of form, he can do things no other 10 in the northern hemisphere can do, maybe with the exception of Romain Ntamack. He is an unbelievable talent when you get him in the right frame of mind and in the right shape.
"What Warren Gatland can do, he can surround him with Owen Farrell and Johnny Sexton. When you have the luxury of those two guys, you can bring in a Finn Russell and see what he does, see how reacts to the environment."
'Scotland are no longer easy to dominate'
Scotland take on Ireland at Murrayfield on Saturday looking to keep their Six Nations hopes alive.
Ireland have lost just one of their past 10 matches against Scotland. Best says he always felt confident his men would have the upper hand in the physical stakes when they faced the Scots, most notably in his last match against them before his retirement, the World Cup pool stage victory in Yokohama in 2019.
However, the former Ulster hooker believes Gregor Townsend's side now possess much more steel and present a greater challenge.
"For me there was always a degree of, if you get a stranglehold of Scotland up front, there's nothing they can do about it," he said.
"As a pack of forwards you felt if you played well, there was nothing they could do about it. Whereas I think in this Six Nations they've shown a lot more.
"Scotland now look like a team that you're not going to just turn up and dominate. You've got to play very well now to dominate them.
"If you don't and you get the likes of Ali Price, Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg at the back, give them space, they can be absolutely destructive."
Listen to Rory Best and former Scotland captain Rory Lawson preview Scotland v Ireland on BBC Scotland's Rugby Podcast here.
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