TODAY, TWICKENHAM, 4PM, LIVE ON STV
JOHN RUTHERFORD has his hands full – the grandkids are over and it’s his busy time for media requests.
Every two years the usual suspects are rolled out and the former stand-off is at the top of the list.
As a key component of the last Scotland side to beat England in 1983, it’s a biennial duty to talk about a Twickenham Calcutta Cup success which has long since started to wear thin.
That try by Roy Laidlaw which put Jim Telfer’s side in charge, John Robertson’s drop goal and Tommy Smith’s one and only test try can be recited in Rutherford’s sleep.
Now 61 years old, the man better known as Rud is desperate for a changing of the guard and he’s convinced that time may finally have arrived.
He said: “Most of the class of 1983 love speaking to the media but it would be lovely if Scotland could get a win and they could stop rolling out these old boys.
“We are in our 60s now and it’s time to pass on the baton.
“Our squad is starting to get on a bit and this current Scotland side should be getting the phone calls in 34 years.
“We have as good a chance this weekend as we’ve had in a long time but it’ll still be difficult.”
That March afternoon, four decades ago, may have been blurred by time but Rutherford has total recall on a 22-12 win over the Auld Enemy which earned that group Scottish rugby immortality.
After 42 caps which included nine against England, the Selkirk-born legend is still relieved social media, smart phones and selfies hadn’t been heard of when they made the most of their amateurs night out.
He said: “We didn’t have a psychological problem when we faced England but we were naive as these were the amateur days.
“We used to gather together on the Thursday and that was for the one training session before travelling down to London for a bit of a runabout on the Friday.
“There was nowhere near the level of analysis which goes into the game these days. “On the pitch it was a typical England v Scotland game as they were bigger and stronger than us but we had a lot of players who were capable of doing something. “We were always dangerous and could always make breaks. That will be how it plays out this weekend. England will try to dominate the game and we just need to be bold.
“We had a tremendous GAVIN HASTINGS last night admitted silence would have been golden for Scotland’s Triple Crown hopes.
But the Dark Blues legend believes Vern Cotter’s squad’s bid to end a 34-year run without a win at Twickenham hasn’t been helped by a bullish approach.
As the Calcutta Cup and Six Nations title ambitions are laid on the line in London this afternoon, the 61 times capped former British and Lion said: “There has been a lot of talking by the Scottish players and one or two of the coaching team. I’m a bit nervous about that. If we just kept shtum that might be better.” night after that win. Thankfully in those days there were no mobile phones and there was nobody out taking pictures.
“A whole load of Scotland fans came to our team hotel and we had a huge sing-song.
“I remember there was a guy sat at the piano and he played for hundreds of fans who had been in London supporting the team.
“We all joined in with singing songs and having a few beers. It was a kind of old fashioned Scotland night.”
Rutherford will watch events unfold today from the clubhouse at Selkirk and he believes Vern Cotter’s side are equipped to cope with a brutal approach from Eddie Jones’ men with a combination of guts and guile.
He said: “England will physically try to beat us up. They will attack our scrum and will have seen what happened to Scotland against France in Paris.
“I don’t believe England are as powerful in the scrum as France so if we can have a decent set-piece then we definitely have a game which can beat them.
“The core of the team are from Glasgow who are having an outstanding season and have taken that confidence into the Six Nations.
“What interests me is that the 1983 side I was part of had eight players selected for the British Lions tour that summer.
“The following season we won the Grand Slam but that England game was really the start of us being a really good team. You can see similarities in this current Scotland team.
“There’s a very good chance we will have seven or eight of our players making this summer’s Lions tour.
“The Six Nations is a special event, it’s about time we did something.
“It’s now 34 years since we beat England down there and there have been one or two close things but Twickenham is a really tough place to go and win.
“The worst thing which could have happened leading up to this game is that England haven’t actually performed that well so far in this Six Nations. I don’t believe that’s necessarily a good thing for us.
“It will ensure they will be really up for it this weekend and they have a head coach in Eddie Jones who is very shrewd.
“He will have analysed Scotland and have his side well prepared.
“But I still believe that if we get everything right on the day then we have a great chance.”
Polite to a fault and always attempting to accentuate the positives,
Rutherford’s one remark which stands alone amongst the chat is his disbelief Scotland are about to dispense with the services of head coach Cotter.
He said: “Vern has done a great job, I still can’t believe our meeting with Italy next weekend will be his last game in charge.
“I don’t know what has happened but I wonder whether the SRU are regretting that decision. Even though we have a cracking new coach in Gregor Townsend, I wonder how much we will miss Vern.”