Only the best will do for Cotter
THERE goes the confidence in our fringe men. There goes t he t heory, often asserted with something approaching absolute conviction, about Scotland having more strength in depth than at any time in recent history.
The truth is a little less encouraging. But it might just be the making of our Rugby World Cup campaign.
It might concentrate the minds of the coaching staff, shift responsibility back on to the shoulders of the undisputed first-choice starters, force the ‘other guys’ to front up to t heir obvious shortcomings and do something about it.
Perhaps it will create the kind of febrile atmosphere in which competitive men do remarkable things.
And, for goodness’ sake, let’s look on the bright side. Top of Pool B, with a maximum possible haul of 10 points despite making 10 changes to the starting line-up, plus a handsome tally of 10 tries in two games … what’s not to like?
Well, the sight of so many secondXV players being given a real pasting for 40 minutes by the USA yesterday might have been a cause f or some concern. It may still be a source of wo r r y, depending on medical bulletins to be delivered either today or tomorrow. If we’re not quite in the English red-top territory of asking people to lay hands on a picture of David Beckham’s fractured foot, there isn’t a Scotland fan out there who won’t be praying that Finn Russell’s ankle injury is less serious than it initially seemed.
No offence to Duncan Weir, the replacement who actually played well in his 20-minute cameo when he came on f or Russell, including scoring a nice try. He’s a very good stand-off who wouldn’t let anyone down.
But Finn is our boy, our playmaker, our bright spark at first receiver. If he’s got even a bruised toenail, Vern Cotter (below) should wrap him in cotton wool. Then wrap the cotton wool in bubble wrap.
That we’ll need all of our best players fit and firing on all cylinders to face South Africa should be obvious. The Springboks play with the fervour of zealots who have chosen violence as their religion, bludgeoning all opposition t o a point j ust short of unconsciousness before deigning to play anything approaching expansive rugby. What yesterday’s win over the Yanks proved was that, to have any hope of stopping opponents who have bounced back from that stratospheric shock loss to Japan, we’ll need all our top performers on the field. Several of the guys who might have forced their way into a starting position played themselves out of the reckoning yesterday, with props Ryan Grant and Jon Welsh the most obvious candidates for the cull. They should be joined on the outside looking in by Josh Strauss, the South African Glasgow Warriors leader who only qualified as a Scot on the eve of this tournament — and who looked shocked by the intensity of a first international start.
Where David Denton drives f orward, carrying bodies with him, the ‘other’ No 8 seemed too often to simply f all i nto opposition cover yesterday. Only once did Strauss make a good break. Admittedly, Scotland scored a try from it but we can’t rely on a guy who plays in fits and starts.
Tim Swinson? A controversial pick for even the 31-man squad, his early introduction in the second row, as a replacement for the injured Grant Gilchrist, did him no favours. He certainly won’t trouble Jonny Gray when it comes to selection.
At least Cotter won’t have many difficult decisions to make, then. Nor should any of the coaching staff struggle with the switch in mentality needed between now and Saturday.
We’re always more comfortable as underdogs and, against opponents who will f ancy their chances of replacing Scotland at the top of Pool B, that will certainly be the case.
Does that mean a change of game plan, a change of attitude, a lowering of sights or merely a simplification of what the players will try to do?
Cotter continually stresses adaptability, which he seems to classify next to godliness on his personal list of individual qualities.
On this occasion, the changes required are obvious. More good news, if you really think about it.