Scotland rugby star Laidlaw agrees Gloucester switch

Scotland halfback Greig Laidlaw has agreed a deal to leave Edinburgh and join Gloucester next season, the English Premiership club announced on Tuesday. The 28-year-old, who can play at scrum-half and fly-half, will replace Freddie Burns, who is due to join Leicester from Gloucester. Laidlaw has operated at scrum-half for Scotland during the current Six Nations campaign, but Gloucester rugby director Nigel Davies intends to make full use of his versatility. "He's likely to be first-choice 10, but we've got a few combinations there," said the former Wales coach. "We see him very much as a nine-come-10, which he has done at Scotland. He's played 40 percent of his games at 10 for Scotland. "He's the right type of character that we need to bring into this group. He's a natural leader, and he impacts games very positively. He's a true 80 percent-plus goal-kicker, so we're very excited about that." Renowned for his pinpoint kicking, Laidlaw made his Scotland debut in 2011 and has to date won 27 international caps. He follows New Zealand front-row forward and Wales hooker Richard Hibbard in signing for Gloucester. England squad fly-half Burns has seen his form fall away since he agreed to join Leicester, with his goal-kicking accuracy slipping from close to 75 percent last season to 57 percent in the current campaign. Source: AFP