GIVE THEM HELL

Cotter urges Scots to have a ‘real go’ at the Aussies

VERN COTTER has v owed Scotland’s World Cup warriors will not take a single backwards step as they pursue a first semi-final appearance in 24 years.

Up against tournament favourites Australia in tomorrow’s quarter-final at Twickenham, the Scots — rocked by the controversial suspension of star starters Jonny Gray and Ross Ford — have been given no chance by most pundits.

But Cotter, his hopes enhanced by the news of influential Wallabies breakdown expert David Pocock being ruled out through injury, is adamant that his inexperienced side will show now fear. Seeking to become the first Scotland head coach to lead the nation into the last four since the amateur days of 1991, Cotter said: ‘These guys are competitors. That’s why they play the game.

‘It’s a great challenge for a sportsman to play against one of the best teams, at the moment, in world rugby.

‘So the focus is to go out there and win. That’s really the attitude we’re taking. It’s a massive challenge. Get out there and have a real go at it against one of the best teams in the world.

‘We’ve got a few things we can throw at them to upset them. We certainly don’t want to be taking a backwards step i n the

game. We will move forward and have a real go at them.’ Cotter has been forced to promote Fraser Brown to starting hooker and Tim Swinson will get a rare start in the second row, with today’s appeal hearing into the three-week bans handed out to Ford and Gray offering no hope of a reprieve for this game. Creative spark Peter Horne was always going to start at outsidecentre, which suggests Scotland will play an expansive game, while Blair Cowan replaces Ryan Wilson in the back row. The Ford and Gray appeals will be heard in London at 10am today by a three-man committee chaired by Justice Lex Mpati (South Africa), sitting with Justice Graeme Mew (Canada) and experienced coach Robbie Deans (New Zealand). Scotland are only appealing against the length of the bans, meaning even a reduction to one week would render the players ineligible to play tomorrow. Cotter’s comments on the citing and sentences yesterday simply amounted to: ‘Obviously, I’m disappointed for the two players who were suspended. They are great ambassadors for the game. But that’s politics.’ Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw warned that his team are never more dangerous than when backed into a corner, declaring: ‘We need to come out fighting anyway. We’re not going to sit back and just let Australia come and play at us. ‘We’re in the quarterfinals, we deserve our place there. We’re not just there to make up the numbers. ‘As Vern has touched on, the enthusiasm of the boys coming into the squad has been obvious. ‘They have been given an opportunity. They need to grab it with both hands and put in a massive performance. ‘I think being written off pulls you together, tighter as a group. ‘You can definitely touch on it a little bit and use it to become more tight-knit as a group. ‘I think we already are pretty close. ‘Take someone like Sean Lamont, who won his 100th cap, and believes this is the best team

spirit

we have ever had during his time with Scotland. ‘We think that can add up to a good combination. Hopefully it does.’ Cotter looked surprised when informed, ahead of Australia confirming their selection, that the outstanding Pocock was likely to miss out due to injury, his reaction suggesting that he might not have picked two opensides in Cowan and John Hardie in his starting XV if he had known. Laidlaw added: ‘David Pocock is obviously one of the best players in the world. ‘So any team would be disappointed to lose a player like him.’ The Scotland captain also said that the Sir Alex Ferguson video employed by Cotter as a motivation tool, as revealed in Sportsmail yesterday, had definitely hit home, saying: ‘Sir Alex is obviously a great Scottish icon and a man with tremendous experience. ‘To hear him speaking the way he did about the big occasion was great for us. ‘Coaches and players are always learning. ‘So you can’t help but take something away from someone who has achieved so much. ‘I hope it can inspire us to another performance this weekend.’