NATIONS2019 Rivals looking for
Scotland want to wash away Ireland’s hopes Psychological blows can be landed in vital mind games
GREIG LAIDLAW has warned Ireland to expect a storm at Murrayfield as Scotland look to blow away their Six Nations title dreams.
After Joe Schmidt’s men were undone by England’s brute force in Dublin last week, the weather could be the deciding factor today.
The Scottish capital is set to be buffeted by winds approaching 50mph, with heavy rain due to lash down too.
And Laidlaw believes his side will be able to handle the conditions better than their rivals, who know a defeat will wash away any hopes of clinging to their crown.
“It’s good for us being at home when the weather is like this,” said Laidlaw. “The way the wind is at Murrayfield, sometimes it can be pretty tricky. Hopefully our experience of playing here a little bit more than the Irish boys, we can use that to our advantage.
“If it comes in like it’s meant to, it’s difficult – certainly more difficult for your No9s and No10s trying to judge your passing game, your kicking game.
“Everybody knows the way Scotland want to play the game. We won’t really deviate from that, but we’ve got to be smart and pick the times when we play.”
Scotland have proved troublesome opponents for the Irish, hanging on for a 27-22 victory two years ago. They could have backed up that triumph at the Aviva 12 months ago but let the hosts off the hook with a series of missed chances.
Laidlaw says lessons have been learnt from both recent encounters.
“We can take a few learnings from last year where we missed a few opportunities. Against a quality team like Ireland you have to take your opportunities,” he said.
“I’m sure they were disappointed to lose last week. But that’s not our worry. Ours is about ourselves, our record here at home that we’re extremely proud of.”
Ireland’s strength in depth at lock has taken a hammering, with Iain Henderson (finger) and Tadhg Beirne (knee) out and Devin Toner set for two months on the sidelines after ankle surgery on the injury he suffered in the England defeat last weekend.
“He has been a big part of what we’ve created,” said skipper Rory Best. “It’s massive to lose a player like that, and the intellectual property he brings around the lineout.”
Connacht’s Quinn Roux will share lineout calling duties with the fast-rising James Ryan.
“Quinn was great when he came on against England,” said Best. “This is a massive opportunity for him, and also a big opportunity for James Ryan.”
❑ LEINSTER flanker Sean O’Brien will join London Irish, who are heading for promotion back to the Premiership, after the World Cup.
Hogg; Seymour, Jones, Johnson, Maitland; Russell, Laidlaw (capt); Dell, McInally, Berghan, Gilchrist, Gray, Wilson, Ritchie, Strauss. Brown, Bhati, Rae, Toolis, Harley, Price, Horne, Kinghorn.
Kearney; Earls, Farrell, Aki, Stockdale; Sexton, Murray; Healy, Best (capt), Furlong, Ryan, Roux, O’Mahony, O’Brien, Conan.
Cronin, Kilcoyne, Porter, Dillane, Van Der Flier, Cooney, Carbery, Larmour.
R Poite (France).
SCOTLAND: Replacements: IRELAND: Replacements: Referee:
REPORTS
THE Six Nations, glamorous enough in itself, morphs into the World Cup in miniature this weekend.
Scotland versus Ireland today and England against France tomorrow are stadium-fillers in their own right, but the clashes also offer a fascinating forerunner of pivotal group games at Japan 2019.
The outcomes will not by themselves determine who makes the knockout stages 6,000 miles east in seven months’ time, but there are significant psychological blows to be landed.
Imagine, for example, if the Scots repeat their victory from the 2017 championship and edge an Ireland side still trying to recover from the pummelling they took from England? That would make Pool A appear significantly more open.
Or if England do not simply see off the French at Twickenham but really put Les Bleus to the sword? Jacques Brunel’s side, already the Six Nations’ eccentric uncle in the armchair, would turn up in Yokohama with more hang-ups than Donatella Versace’s wardrobe.
On the evidence of the opening weekend, both those scenarios are entirely possible. The joy of the Six Nations though is that it very rarely evolves in a straight line.
What if the Irish deliver a backlash after their Dublin drubbing and raze Murrayfield to the ground? How then would Scotland view their opening World Cup game with no home advantage to fall back on? Not very positively.
Or what if France turn up for 80 minutes rather than 40 this week and take England to the wire?
The mental equation shifts again. And this is a weekend of the mind.
England’s encounter with France has been billed as a physical tear-up in keeping with the traditions of Le Crunch. With Manu Tuilagi running into Mathieu Bastareaud that will certainly be a part of the show.
But just as important is the brain game.
England’s players have talked in the aftermath of Dublin about how free they felt going to the Aviva Stadium as underdogs. They played on that in the build-up and thrived on the status during a ferociously intense contest.
Butt home to a France side who at one moment can look glorious, the next grotesque, the roles have been reversed.
England are overwhelming favourites and expected to win comfortably. The Top 14 Elliot Daly
Chris Ashton Henry Slade Manu Tuilagi Jonny May
Owen Farrell (capt) Ben Youngs
Mako Vunipola Jamie George Kyle Sinckler Courtney Lawes George Kruis Mark Wilson Tom Curry Billy Vunipola 14 13 12 11
10 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 may be swimming in cash but the French national team, who lost to Fiji in the autumn, are drowning in criticism after their home defeat to Wales. “I’d expect a big reaction,” warned England wing Chris Ashton. “The French never want to lose at home so for that to happen last week will cut them deep. They will be flying into this weekend with every intention of winning the game. “They’ve always been emotional people and players – that can work for and against them – but I’m sure they will be channelling that in the right direction this weekend. They have to. They are a couple of wins away from where they
England replacements:
Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ben Moon, Dan Cole, Joe Launchbury, Nathan Hughes, Dan Robson, George Ford, Jack Nowell
France replacements:
Pierre Bourgarit, Dany Priso, Dorian Aldegheri, Paul Willemse, Gregory Alldritt, Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Thomas Ramos
Referee: N Owens (Wales). Kick-off: 3pm tomorrow (ITV).
commentate on the game and, thinking that was a year ago, I’d never have thought we’d be sat here with me about to play France,” said Ashton.
“I definitely understand what it’s like to not be involved and not have the shirt, so it’s a big privilege for me to be back in.”
Courtney Lawes steps up to start in place of the injured Maro itoje, who Jones says has a chance of being fit to face Yoann Huget
Damian Penaud Mathieu Bastareaud Geoffrey Doumayrou Gael Fickou
Camille Lopez Morgan Parra
Jefferson Poirot Guilhem Guirado (capt) Demba Bamba Sebastien Vahaamahina Felix Lambey Yacouba Camara Arthur Iturria Louis Picamoles should be so I’m sure they are doing everything they can to get back on track, and winning at Twickenham is a great opportunity for them to do that.”
For England, against a side rated 6-1 outsiders in a twohorse race, complacency is the enemy.
“It’s always there” acknowledged Eddie Jones. “It’s human nature so we’re always fighting complacency. Sometimes the shadows get a bit bigger and sometimes they’re smaller, but they’re always there,
In Edinburgh, meanwhile, Ireland and Joe Schmidt, left, will be under a different sort of pressure – the pressure to stay in the championship. Another loss and the Grand Slam champions are gone from this year’s race.
A good suit does not go out of fashion in the space of a week but Ireland have important cogs missing at Murrayfield, not least in the second row where the Scots have tackling machine Jonny Gray back.
Inside the Irish heads that thought of nothing but victory after their awesome autumn, there might be the odd tinge of doubt this afternoon.
“We were off last week and you do question yourself a heck of a lot,” said Schmidt.
“There’s not a hell of a lot of sleep that happens on a Saturday and Sunday evening, trying to decipher what needs to happen next.
“But one of the great things at the start of the championship is you have got to get straight on with the next game and so you’ve got somewhere to go. You’ve got to dust yourself off.”
So eyes down – and heads on – for the Six Nations weekend that could have ramifications a long way down the road. Wales in a fortnight. “It is unfortunate Maro is injured but he has been rehabbing well so we are hopeful he will be back earlier than maybe first predicted,” said Jones.
Mathieu Bastareaud has been recalled by France to try to counter the physical threat of Manu Tuilagi. The Toulon bowling ball will partner Geoffrey Doumayrou in the same midfield that helped beat England in Paris last year. “I reported last week that Mathieu remained an important option for us,” said France coach Jacques Brunel, who surprisingly dropped Bastareaud for the opener with Wales in favour of 19-year-old debutant Romain Ntamack.
“It seems appropriate to make it permanent against England, and we are waiting for him to make a significant impact for the team as we are looking for physical density to face the power of the English midfield, with a player like