Scots fuelled by Six Nations thrashing, says Blair
SCOTLAND will have points to prove to themselves, their supporters and the world in general when they travel to Cardiff this weekend hunting their first win in the Principality Stadium since 2002.
Assistant coach Mike Blair admits there are some painful memories of their last trip there. The team travelled full of optimism fuelled by a solid Autumn series and knowing the Welsh team were ravaged by injury, only to produce one of their worst performances of the year and get thrashed.
“I still have the final score, 34-7, flashing in my mind and that final clip on the final whistle,” Blair admitted. “That was something that really hurt us because we thought we were in a good place to get the [Six Nations] Championship started with real momentum.
“It was disappointing but it fuels this game a little more as well.”
If that were not motivation enough, there is also the Doddie Weir factor. The teams will be competing for the Doddie Weir Cup. And last night the two unions involved – the Welsh and Scottish Rugby Unions – bowed to pressure and agreed to make a six-figure joint payment to the lock’s charity, set up after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
“About a year ago, he came in and spoke with the squad, it was a really emotional moment,” said Blair. “His name tied to the cup as well gives it that little something extra.”
The Scottish players, he accepted, will have to concentrate on the game itself. There is enough baggage from the February match without adding to it.
For example, it looks as though it is going to be a step back into the cauldron for scrum-half Ali Price with memories of his personal contribution to the defeat – a squint scrum feed handing Wales the attacking platform for their first try and an interception gifting them the second – still fresh.
“He’ll have learned a lot from that,” suggested Blair, Scotland’s most capped scrum-half.
“Ali, in particular, has come back into real form over the last two months or so, a lot has happened in that period. There will be things we’ll talk about, and might change a little or question, but I think a lot of it is experiences of guys who’ve been out in that environment and know what it’s like.”
The Test agreement allows Wales to decide on the roof at the stadium, so it will be closed for the game, which Blair sees as a mixed blessing. From the home side’s point of view it adds to the atmosphere but, counter-intuitively, it makes handling trickier.
“You would think would mean a dry ball and you can fling it around but if it is a nice day and the roof is open it is better than when the roof is closed because you create a sweat on the ball,” he pointed out.
“You have 80,000 people in a confined area sweating alcohol from every pore – it is an interesting place – and you do create a sweat on the ball.
“International rugby is about playing in these types of environments though.”
‘‘ It was disappointing but it fuels this game a little more as well