CHAOS THEORY
It nearly toppled the All Blacks, so how will it fare for us in Six Nations?
IT’S a moment that will forever be frozen in time. Stuart Hogg running for the corner in the last play of the match against New Zealand and looking like nobody can catch him.
As Scotland fans inside Murrayfield and all over the world held their breath, the chance of a momentous first win over the All Blacks was cruelly snatched away by a magnificent last-ditch cover tackle by Beauden Barrett.
Home skipper John Barclay took a while to get over that 21-17 loss but, when he did watch those last few minutes again, he saw them in a very different light.
It wasn’t a hard-luck story any more. More a Scotland side inspired by their head coach Gregor Townsend to create ‘organised chaos’ against the best team in the world.
Organised chaos. High-tempo, in-your-face rugby, with players encouraged to play with spontaneity. When the ball is moving, the rest have to be switched on enough to keep up, the opposition never given time to relax.
It was that style of frantic, quick play which unsettled the All Blacks and led to Scotland’s grandstand finish. Barclay believes it can serve them well as they prepare to make a similar impact on this year’s Six Nations.
‘The way we played near the end is a style of organised chaos and suits the way the boys want to play,’ he said. ‘It nearly paid off against New Zealand and can also work well in the Six Nations.
‘The most exciting and rewarding thing for a player is if what you do in training transfers on to the pitch. It did against New Zealand to a degree, with the chaos we caused them in those last few minutes a good example.
‘Although we didn’t score in the end, in those last two minutes we ran them the length of the pitch before Hoggy nearly made it in.
‘We had some guys playing their second caps or whatever, who were playing against the best defence in the world and stretching them to the end. It wasn’t necessarily structured play but that’s how we all practise — to cause chaos — and it nearly got us a win.
‘Gregor tries to make training different to what Vern Cotter did. It is stressful. His ideas are different, the way we’re playing is a little bit different.
‘There are constantly changing scenarios, constantly different drills. It is never mundane or the same thing, which I love, and we’re taking those ideas out on to the field.’
Barclay knows only too well, of course, that this chaos theory alone won’t guarantee the Scots victory against Wales in their opening match in Cardiff.
He was part of a Scarlets side who are still on a high after qualifying for the knockout stage of the European Champions Cup with a famous home win over Toulon a fortnight ago.
With 13 of those players in Warren Gatland’s squad, he insists the feelgood factor will transfer to the national side.
‘I don’t know how Wales are going to play or what their tactics are but, if my Scarlets team-mates carry over the confidence and the energy they’re playing with at my club, which I think they will, they’ll be tricky opponents,’ said Barclay.
‘I don’t know how many of them will be in that Wales team, whether it’ll be six, seven, eight or nine, but there could be a lot.
‘Scarlets have been playing a great brand of passing rugby and Wales are going down that route a bit more.
‘More passing, a bit more width to their game, and some of the guys at Scarlets are doing that better than anyone just now.’
Surely Barclay has been getting quizzed for inside knowledge on his Llanelli colleagues ahead of the clash at the Principality Stadium?
‘I wasn’t tasked to get it but maybe encouraged,’ smiled the 31-year-old, who will leave Scarlets this summer after signing a threeyear deal with Edinburgh.
‘I know these guys and a bit about them. The footage of them is there to watch on the way they play week in, week out anyway. I guess I can give an insight to their mindsets.’
Key to Scarlets’ recent success has been Rhys Patchell, who could start at ten against the Scots after first-choice fly-half Dan Biggar was ruled out through injury.
‘Rhys is confident and you can see that,’ said Barclay. ‘Against Bath, for example, he had to switch to 15 late in the day but he was still throwing flat balls to put people in space and making offloads out the back door. He has all the skills.’
Meanwhile, another of his Scarlets team-mates, the in-form Gareth Davies, will be favourite to replace Rhys Webb at scrumhalf after the latter was also ruled out with a knee injury yesterday.
Barclay admits that Scotland are excited about their chances after an impressive autumn Test series which saw them hammer Australia as well as running the All Blacks so close. But he also warns that the challenge of winning Six Nations games remains as ‘brutal’ as ever.
‘For us, it’s nice to be part of the conversation over who will win the Six Nations but Ireland didn’t lose in the autumn, neither did England,’ he added.
‘England have lost one game in two years. Wales’ record in the Six Nations is very good and the French are doing well in the Champions Cup.
‘I’m not naive enough to think that just because we’re playing well that is enough.
‘We have a great base but we have to get ready for a brutal Six Nations.’