Payback time top of Laidlaw radar
IF Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw cannot wait to face Australia on Saturday, it is not for the reason many might suspect. Yes, he wants to exact revenge for Scotland’s heartbreaking World Cup exit at the hands of the Wallabies.
And of course he wants to get Scotland’s Autumn Tests off to a flier in front of a record crowd at Murrayfield. But, almost as much as both of those, he wants to be able to stop continually reliving the worst day of his career, a defeat which he “will take to the grave”.
Anyone, who was at Twickenham on October 18 last year and talked to the puffy-eyed and hunch-shouldered Scotland players after that cruel reversal knows how hard it hit them. For an obsessive competitor like Laidlaw, being the leader, who had to address his inconsolable troops afterwards was a hellish ordeal.
“It was a tough, tough place to be,” he said. “I’ve never seen a dressing-room like that. It was so raw. The emotion was there, the feeling, the anger; there were all sorts of words flying about. I certainly hope I’m never in a changing room like that again.
“We knew that day would overshadow this match. It’s been talked about so much and probably always will be from a Scottish perspective. I’m someone who is hugely passionate about playing for Scotland but I also know we’ll never get that game back. So when we play Australia this weekend we need to put our energy into the performance rather than looking back. If we can win, it may make what happened last year a little easier to swallow and finally allow us to move on.”
If Laidlaw prides himself on his mental fortitude and total focus on winning, he has a kindred spirit in outgoing head coach Vern Cotter, a man so hard-nosed he could have been a Borderer. Although Laidlaw has kept his counsel about the decision to dispense with the New Zealander’s services, he has also been effusive about his partnership with the Kiwi. Laidlaw admits Cotter’s impending departure has added a frisson to proceedings.
“If someone walked in the door today, they would never ever know Vern was leaving the job in eight games’ time,” said Laidlaw. “He’s so committed and passionate about doing well, about Scotland doing well, about us as a group of players having success. For the group of players who’ve been on the journey under him, there’s always that little bit in the back of your mind where you want to do well for him as well.”
Like Cotter, Laidlaw knows that Scotland need to mix relentless positivity and aggression in attack with defensive solidity.
“We can’t go mad and concede five tries again [as they did at Twickenham] or we’ll make it extremely difficult for ourselves,” he says. Not that he eschews some judicious tub-thumping, admitting that tomorrow night will be spent around the television “cheering the football boys on against the Auld Enemy”, while every positive sign – from Andy Murray’s ascent to the top of tennis, and Ireland’s win over New Zealand – will be employed as a motivational tool.
Now 31 and with 53 caps to his name, Laidlaw knows every trick and has proved himself an astute tactician.
“I make the tough decisions when they’re called for and pride myself on knowing rugby so hopefully nine times out of 10 I’ll make the right decision,” he said. “I believe my knowledge of the game is right up there with anybody; I’m a thinking man and try to know the game inside out.” — Daily Telegraph