Should we be worried? Is Scotland’s Rugby World Cup already stuttering to ignominy after Saturday’s edgy win over the minnows of Romania?
No. Not at all. Yes, Scotland were pretty dreadful for the middle half of the match. Yes, Romania took the lead with ten minutes to go and could easily have won – and yes, Scotland were within few tense minutes of the worst result in their history.
But look at the facts. Scotland won. Scotland scored four tries, collected a win bonus point and prevented their opponents from picking up a losing one. Scotland also showed admirable composure to score two late tries to win the match when they looked like heading for defeat, two tries – it has to be said – that were among the best scored by a Scotland side for some time.
It is also worth bearing in mind that none of the major or middle-ranked test sides have found it easy in this world cup. The International Rugby Board has spent considerable sums investing in the smaller nations, an investment that is paying dividends now.
The All Blacks only beat Tonga by 41–10 – a margin, to be frank, that many Scots would have been happy to concede to New Zealand in New Zealand. Ireland struggled to subdue the USA and won by 22–10 without getting that four-try bonus point – and France, although they ran out easy 47–21 winners over Japan, were within seven points of their Asian opponents at one stage in the second half, such was the Japanese fightback.
The days of easy wins over the also-rans of world rugby appear to be over. To be fair, Scotland have always struggled to really put the minnows away, so we shouldn’t really be surprised by the Romanian effort on Saturday and the Scottish team’s inability to sweep them aside with ease.
In the aftermath, much has been talked about Romanian dominance at the scrum and how Georgia – Scotland’s next opponents on Wednesday – have an even better, bigger scrum than Romanian.
Again, perhaps we shouldn’t worry too much – for a couple of reasons. We should expect Andy Robinson to pick his biggest, most powerful pack. That means, surely, Euan Murray on the tighthead and big Jim Hamilton in the second row, possibly with Nathan Hines at six and Al Strokosch at number eight.
Murray should keep the front row solid and, with Hamilton pushing from behind, there is no reason to think that the Scots will get pushed off the ball as they did against Romania. This is the key because, if the Scots can get parity up front, they should surely be able to beat the Georgians behind the scrum.
Expect also Dan Parks to be picked at ten. This is a game that has to be played in the Georgian half. One of the reasons Scotland allowed Romania to get so close to winning the game on Saturday was because Scotland gave away penalties and scrums in their own 22. All the Romanians had to do was scrummage away until they scored.
Scotland have to play the game down the other end of the park – and if that means ten-man rugby, at least until Scotland get the ball to hand in their opponents' 22, then so be it. Parks will kick to the corners in an effort to nullify both the Georgian scrum and its driving mauls.
We should also expect to see the return of Graeme Morrison at 12 and Nick de Luca at 13, probably with Sean Lamont shifting out to one wing, Max Evans on the other and possible Rory Lamont at full back – but that depends on how confident Robinson is in Parks’ kicking from the tee.
Should we be worried? Not really. Not at this stage.
If, however, it gets to the stage it was in the Romanian game, with our lowly opponents leading with ten minutes to go, then we should worry – really worry.
Because, although Scotland should win the game, should score another four tries and get that all-important bonus point, they may not: anybody who has spent any length of time watching Scotland play rugby knows we can take nothing for granted.
Scotland can win and should win – but, hey, this is Scotland we are talking about and nothing, ever, is as simple or as straightforward as it should.
Donate to us: support independent, intelligent, in-depth Scottish journalism from just 3p a day
Related posts: