Simon Marcus Taylor joined Scotland’s coterie of 50-cap players in playing against Wales in the 21-9 victory in the RBS Six Nations match at Murrayfield in February 2007, when he was also named as man of the match. After a year out because of a knee injury in the 2004 championship he returned to Scotland action against Italy in the 2005 Six Nations, and a week later he featured in the IRB’s North v South Tsunami Aid match at Twickenham before continuing his comeback by rejoining Scotland for the match against Wales. Another knee injury kept him out of action for the early part of the 2006-2007 season, but despite only an hour’s rugby for Edinburgh the previous weekend he returned for Scotland for the second match of the Bank of Scotland Corporate autumn series at Murrayfield, playing at blind side in place of the injured Jason White in the 34-22 win against the Pacific Islanders and continuing in that role for the game against Australia a week later as well as the subsequent RBS Six Nations Championship matches. He went on to play in four of Scotland’s five Rugby World Cup matches in 2007, but injury kept him out of the 2008 RBS Six Nations Championship squad until his timely return for the Calcutta Cup victory against England at Murrayfield.

A further injury limited his 2008 Bank of Scotland Corporate Autumn Tests participation to the final match, the 41-0 win against Canada at Pittodrie, Aberdeen. Simon was The Famous Grouse Scotland Player of the Season for 2002-2003, fitting reward for performances encapsulated by his heroic defensive contribution to the game against England when he weighed in with 23 tackles. He scored his first Test try in the match against Canada on the 2002 tour in which he started at open-side flanker and then made pile-driving contributions when he was fielded at No.8 against the USA. He scored his first try in a Murrayfield Test match in Scotland’s 30-22 March 2003 win against Wales: he also had a try in the corresponding game against Wales in 2004 at the Millennium Stadium. His now has six Scotland tries to his name with one in each of Scotland’s past two Twickenham matches (2005 and 2007). He was named Lloyds TSB Man of the Match for his display against Italy in the 29-12 Scotland victory in February 2002. In the 2003 Rugby World Cup he started in every match. In summer 2001 Taylor made a try-scoring debut for the British & Irish Lions in their 116-10 victory over Western Australia before a knee injury unfortunately ended his tour, and on his return to Scotland he passed the final exams of his law degree at Edinburgh University. His selection for the Lions was reward for his first season in international rugby after having made his debut for Scotland in the November 2000 Autumn Test against the USA. The following week he played 75 minutes with a double fracture of his left hand against the world champion Wallabies. On his return from that injury Taylor made a top-drawer contribution to Scotland A’s 42-20 win against Wales A, scoring the Scots’ final try. That performance catapulted him into the starting line-up for the Calcutta Cup clash at Twickenham.

Simon represented Scottish Schools in 1995-96 while he was at Morrison’s Academy, and he went on to play for Scotland’s under-18, under-19, and under-21 teams. He had two seasons in the under-19 team, leading the Scots in the Junior World Championship in France in 1998. After five matches for the national under-21 side in 1998-1999 he went on to play in 10 more internationals at that level in 1999-2000, including the victory over the New Zealand Youth at Jedburgh in December and the draw with Australia during the 2000 Southern Hemisphere Alliance tournament in New Zealand. In that latter match Taylor scored a try. In 1999-2000 he played a key role in Heriot’s FP’s second successive club championship and was rewarded with a professional contract with Edinburgh Reivers at the beginning of season 2000-2001. He left Edinburgh to join Stade Francais in Paris in 2007.