The fun is over
Unlucky 13 face chop from World Cup squad
SCOTLAND assistant head coach Danny Wilson has warned the fun and games are a thing of the past as Gregor Townsend and his staff prepare to cut 13 players from their training squad ahead of next month’s World Cup in Japan.
Wilson believes some established stars will be left at home, which is why the camaraderie between the players — especially among those who play in the same position — will be stretched to the limit.
There are 44 players in Townsend’s training squad, with the group set to be trimmed down to 31 before their final warm-up match against Georgia at BT Murrayfield on September 6.
Scotland players were playing cricket on the beach at Elie in Fife yesterday on their day off while others took to the golf courses in and around the team base at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews as they all relaxed together.
But after the cricket bats and golf clubs are put away — and with the first warm-up match away to France in Nice in just over a fortnight — Wilson expects it will soon become every man for himself, with every single one of them desperate to impress.
‘We are in that nice fluffy time when everyone’s getting on really well because there’s no selection, but that’s around the corner for us,’ said Wilson, who has special responsibility for the forwards. ‘I’m seeing a Scotland squad that, touch wood, is all fit and I’m seeing lots of competition for places and an intensity in training.
‘We’re now moving into a physical part of our training. We’ve got games coming up and that will increase. Genuinely there’s (World Cup) places up for grabs.’
Wilson (below) said quality players would miss out on final selection as he made clear their performances in training and the first three warm-up matches — back-to-back outings against France and another against Georgia in Tbilisi — would make or break their chances.
‘Genuinely in some of the positions, right through the squad, there is real competition for places,’ said the former Cardiff Blues head coach. ‘When you look at the names, for example in the back row, there are quality players competing for places on that plane. You can only select a certain number and it makes for some really tough decisions.
‘Sometimes, they’re made for you by injuries and lack of depth. As a coaching group, we’re in a position that we’ve got some really tough decisions and just a few weeks to make them.’
Competition is fiercest in the back row, with nine players fighting it out for five slots in the squad.
Openside flanker Hamish Watson looks the only certainty to be picked, with Jamie Ritchie doing well in the last Six Nations. It is no foregone conclusion that John Barclay will be selected after he missed most of last season through injury.
Wilson hinted that being able to operate in more than one position, like Sam Skinner — who can operate as a back row or second row — would enhance a player’s chances of being selected. ‘The unique situation when you’re travelling so far away is that you need to have flexibility, you have to have players who can play more than one position, because you’re restricted by distance and by tight turnarounds,’ said the Englishman. ‘You have to use your squad because 31 is a small number, so you have to know where your worst-case scenario is.
‘I’m going to push for as many forwards as we can pick, but we’ve yet to discuss the split of squad yet.
‘There’s a decent amount of arguments, but we still haven’t made those decisions. The next step is to play the matches, France home and away and Georgia away. That will give us really good footage and evidence to make further cuts.’
Wilson knows the Scotland coaching team is under pressure to ensure they have a good run in the World Cup after a disappointing Six Nations. For all the praise that came the way of the team after the fightback that led to a 38-38 draw with England, Scotland’s only victory was against Italy.
He believes the extensive time he has had working with the forwards over the summer will allow him to fix the problems from the Six Nations and have them come out firing against Ireland in Yokohama in the World Cup opener on September 22.
‘Before a Test match, you’re trying to ram a huge amount in,’ said Wilson. ‘This is far different, like a pre-season, so you’ve got a chance to work on the finer detail.
‘Slowly but surely, I’ve been putting my stamp on things. It’s been well-documented that, during the Six Nations, we had a different group in terms of injuries we had.
‘Now to have the likes of John Barclay back, to work with these guys and see a healthy squad that we didn’t have during the Six Nations, it’s been good for me to build relationships.’