WE NEED THE GAME OF OUR LIVES
RUGBY SIX NATIONS LATEST
GRANT GILCHRIST admits Scotland must scale new heights if they are to avoid another night of Six Nations Twickenham torture.
The Dark Blues lock believes only their best-ever game will ensure there’s no repeat of the 61-21 mauling from England on their last visit to London.
Three straight losses to Ireland, France and Wales mean the Calcutta Cup clash is no more than a face-saver for Scotland while Eddie Jones’ side still have the Championship in their sights.
The Scots last won at Twickenham 36 years ago and Gilchrist said: “Physically, we need to be better than we’ve ever been before but it also has to be the best rugby we’ve ever played.
“That’s a given, we won’t win there unless we defend better and are more physical. I don’t think BY GORDON PARKS you need any more motivation. It’s a huge game playing any of these teams, be it England, Wales or Ireland.
“Representing Scotland you feel the responsibility. If you’re not motivated to play for Scotland something is wrong.”
England head coach Jones has promised Scotland a “hostile” reception as they bid to make up for last year’s loss at Murrayfield but Gilchrist insists that won’t have any bearing on the game.
He said: “We’ve enough to be worried about with our own game, that’s it at the end of the day. We need to address some areas of our game we need to work on and we’re aware that we’re playing one of the best sides in the world at their home. It’s a huge challenge.”
Last weekend’s loss to Grand Slam-chasing Wales was a lesson in not scoring while on top and the Edinburgh powerhouse admits it was tough to take.
He said: “We need to take the good stuff from the weekend and make the improvement we need.
“We need to turn possession into more points. Our work when we got into the 22 of Wales wasn’t good enough.
“We put them under pressure and got some penalties but didn’t get the points we needed.”
Scotland’s failure to deliver on pre-tournament expectation has made it all the more galling for Gilchrist but he believes they can still end on a high.
He said: “This campaign has been about disappointment and frustration. There is no worse feeling than losing.
“If we get our rugby right there is no reason why we can’t put our best game out there.”
The horror of that afternoon at Twickenham two years ago remains raw for Scottish rugby fans and Gilchrist insists it’s a warning that failure to perform in any Test can lead to a hiding.
He said: “The standard of the Six Nations means that if you’re away from home and get it wrong you can look pretty silly. We understand the pressure on us.”