Rapid cure needed for Scots’ travel sickness
It seems to be all in the mind when it comes to winning away from home for Scotland.
Hooker Fraser Brown believes their abysmal record on the road — five tries leaked in a 32-3 defeat to France in Nice at the weekend — is mostly down to a mental fragility whenever they leave the country.
‘It is mental, it’s a psychological barrier, and it is something we’ll need to find a way to get over as a players’ group, as a leaders’ group,’ said Brown in the wake of the heavy defeat in France.
time is of the essence to find a solution to Scotland’s travel sickness as their World Cup
opener against Ireland in Yokohama is only five weeks away.
that is why top sports psychologist Damian Hughes will be one of the most important men behind the scenes in the Scotland camp in the build up to the tournament.
Sportsmail understands that addressing the mental factors needed to make Scotland more consistent and more successful away from Bt Murrayfield will be his priority.
Hughes has worked on the mental side of the game with the likes of England World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson and is the author of the best-selling book The
Barcelona Way — Unlocking the DNA of a Winning Culture.
One of Brown’s theories is that the players are so desperate to please the home fans they put everything into it at Murrayfield and reach heights at home they don’t come close to matching away.
‘Fraser mentioned to me that one of the reasons they struggle to win away from home is that they put so much emphasis on winning at home and can’t reach the same heights away,’ said former Scotland and Lions prop Peter Wright.
‘He mentioned it after we lost to France at the weekend but I think there is a lot more to it than just that. Obviously when they go away they seem to struggle to create that Scottishness that gets them going.
‘I accept what Fraser says and can understand and appreciate his honesty but it never happened in my day as we had senior players that would snarl and push us on even more away from home.
‘We were a team that was used to winning away, which this team isn’t. We had guys like Craig Chalmers, Scott and Gavin Hastings... I won games in Dublin, Paris, Cardiff with Scotland.
‘I used to enjoy the crowd disliking me and fed off it. that was my character. I think we all did to different levels but maybe this current side doesn’t have that same mentality.’
the 21-times-capped prop believes the current team lacks a bit of grit and determination, particularly among the forwards, to get wins on the road. that lack of bite cost them against France and could cost them again in the World Cup opener against Ireland in Yokohama.
‘You look at that pack of forwards from Saturday and there is nobody with that bit of dog needed in international rugby,’ said Wright.
‘they are nice players, good players but if you asked one of them to stand up for you in a fight who would you pick?
‘Hamish Watson is probably one of those types, Fraser Brown definitely. there are physical guys but there is a difference between being physical guys and having that bit of dog.
‘they are all good footballers and they can be physical but when the opposition starts dictating that physicality, some are posted missing.
‘For instance, I felt Josh Strauss was awful against France. I wouldn’t have him in the squad. the first time I noticed he was playing was in the 30th minute.
‘Your No 8 should be in your games as much as your No 10 and he wasn’t showing himself enough against France. You look at Ardie Savea, who was playing at eight although he had six on his back for the All Blacks in their win over Australia. He was magnificent.
‘Billy Vunipola is never out of the game for England, Ross Moriarty carries loads for Wales. I wouldn’t take Strauss to Japan under any circumstances.
‘We haven’t seen Blade thomson yet and I have high hopes for him. He could be the ball-carrying eight with a bit of dog we need. Matt Fagerson can play there too, as well as John Barclay, so we can cope without Strauss.’
Lock Grant Gilchrist was one of many who toiled against France but the Edinburgh forward is determined to redeem himself if he gets a chance in the return match this Saturday. ‘I can only speak for myself but I would love to go out and right some wrongs next weekend,’ said Gilchrist. ‘the chances are we’ll make a lot of changes but I’d be desperate to get back out there and I know the 23 guys who played on Saturday night will feel exactly the same.
‘We let ourselves down and want desperately to have an opportunity to put that right.
‘We represent a big group. the guys who played in Nice felt we let down the wider squad.
‘We’ve all been working really hard. We were the lucky ones to go out there and get a chance to pull on the jersey and represent the group but we let ourselves down.
‘the 23 who play next week will be desperate to put that right. I fully believe we can do it. We’ve shown we can do it in the past. We just need to learn these lessons and turn it around.’
Gilchrist realises there is no margin for error now if he wants to ensure a place in townsend’s 31-man squad that will go to the World Cup.
‘Gregor definitely will be making decisions that will count against some people,’ he said.
‘He has been looking at us for the last six weeks. I think it’s fair to say that he won’t judge us on one performance. He’ll judge us over the whole piece.’