GET BACK TO BASICS BOYS
Laidlaw says there’s a quick fix to Scots woes
SCOTLAND legend Greig Laidlaw has backed the team to bounce back and finish the Six Nations on a high – provided they iron out a few basic flaws in their game.
Defeats by Wales and Ireland have left Gregor Townsend’s side deflated after they began the championship by winning at Twickenham for the first time since 1983.
But Laidlaw, who captained Scotland in 39 of his 76 caps, believes they can get back to winning ways against Italy on Saturday and France next week.
He said: “Listen, I don’t think they’re far away. The boys will be frustrated, and I’ve talked to a few of them, but they just need to look at their performances to realise they really aren’t far away.
“The forward pack is coming together and keeping them in games. It’s up to the boys now to finish well in the last couple of games.
“At Test-match level, you’ve got to fix the simple things. So Scotland will obviously look at their lineout, that’s probably the first area. Then the discipline.
“If they could also be a little bit more patient in their defence.”
Laidlaw, 35, now plays for the NTT Shining Arcs in Japan. He admits that when he watches Scotland games he still feels the old urge to be out there playing his part, but is sure he did the right thing when he decided to retire from international rugby after the 2019 World Cup.
He said: “I’m always going to say I could probably do a job but I’m not getting any younger.
“I loved playing for Scotland and I’d obviously love to be able to still play for the team.
“But I’m really enjoying the challenge here. And hopefully I’ve got a couple of decent seasons left in me before I hang up my boots.”
Meanwhile, Scotland assistant coach Mike Blair has revealed Finn Russell is still likely to miss the Italy game after being concussed against Ireland.
But Jonny Gray’s shoulder injury could clear up in time for him to play in the match at Murrayfield. Blair said: “Finn will be unlikely. We are waiting to see how Jonny is
progressing.”