Time to show a ruthless streak!
FOR Scotland, a Six Nations that once promised so much is now in danger of ending with a whimper following back-to-back defeats against Wales and Ireland. Here, Sportsmail columnist and former Scotland captain ANDY NICOL takes a look at what awaits us when Italy come calling this afternoon and how Gregor Townsend’s men can get back on track.
What lessons can we take from last week’s disappointing defeat to Ireland?
The main lesson is that you cannot win a Test match if your lineout disintegrates. You need a platform to work from and Scotland did not have one. It was a catalogue of errors; some poor throwing from George Turner, some poor lifting, some poor calls and some good defence from Ireland. Scott Cummings calls the lineout and he will learn from this experience. What disappointed me was that they did not have a ‘go-to’ call, a banker, to ensure that they won the next lineout.
The high of Twickenham seems further away now than ever on the back of two spirit-sapping losses. Is there any danger of a mental hangover for Gregor Townsend’s men going into this fixture?
The two defeats to Wales and Ireland have been tough to take. They came about from different start points. Scotland were well up against Wales and fell apart whilst, against Ireland, they were well down and managed to claw their way back into the game. Even when we drew level, I was sure that we would make another mistake or our discipline would let us down and that is exactly what happened. There will be mental scars but there are valuable lessons to be learned from both these defeats.
It will be a much-changed Scotland line-up that runs out at Murrayfield this afternoon, with Stuart Hogg the eye-catching switch playing at No 10. How effective do you think the Exeter man will be stepping into Finn Russell’s shoes?
It is a brave call by Gregor Townsend to play Hogg at 10 but it’s a good one. The alternative was Jaco van der Walt, who played in the autumn but I was not sure of him in international rugby. By bringing Hogg forward, the skipper is closer to the action and the referee and will help in his development as a captain. He has been superb all Championship but this will be an interesting change for him and he will be under huge pressure from Italy. His attacking game will be fine, the key will be his kicking game and the variety of kicks that are required by an international stand-off.
Who else do you expect to seize their opportunity against the Italians?
Sam Skinner and Scott Steele get their chance to impress Townsend. Skinner, along with Grant Gilchrist, form a new second-row pairing due to the injury to Cummings and Jonny Gray and I am looking forward to see how Skinner plays. He has been outstanding for Exeter recently and can bring a lot to the party. Steele gets his first start in place of Ali Price, who has been first-choice for quite a while now but things did not quite work for him last week and it was his mistake that gave Ireland the chance to win the game. I have liked the look of Steele for Harlequins and this is a great chance for him to stake a place in the team.
There’s a lot of talk once again about Italy’s worth to the Six Nations and there’s no doubt they will be targeting Scotland to make a statement. Is there any danger we could underestimate them?
Make no mistake, Scotland should win this game and win it well. Italy have had a tough Championship so far, conceding an average of 47 points per game which is their worst return ever. Strangely, though,
they have looked dangerous at times and they will definitely target Scotland’s lineout to see if they can disrupt Scotland just like Ireland did. Scotland should never underestimate any team. They will give the Italians the absolute respect they deserve but they should look to be ruthless in their play. Over the years, the longer Italy are in the game the better they become, so Scotland need to start well and be very clinical from the start, just as Wales were last week in Rome. The game was done after 30 minutes.
There’s ultimately a sense of deja vu about Scotland’s campaign, with signs of progress being undermined by basic errors and
indiscipline. How much pressure should Gregor Townsend be under?
He is under pressure to perform but not under pressure for his job. The win at Twickenham raised everyone’s hopes but the whole squad, players and coaches, have not been able to cope with those expectations. There is a mental hurdle that Scotland need to overcome to take this squad to the next level because it is not a physical thing not even down to ability. Look at Wales, I genuinely don’t think they are any better players than Scotland but they are light years ahead when it comes to belief and being mentally strong. That is why they are going for a Grand Slam today and we are trying to avoid the Wooden Spoon!
Wales have defied expectations to stand on the brink of Grand Slam glory. Can they finish the job in Paris and have they been denied the respect they deserve?
Wales have over-performed yet again in the Six Nations and, although they have ridden their luck at times, they have also played really well when they had to. Their belief is huge and with guys like Alun Wyn Jones, George North and Jonathan Davies, they have players that know what it takes to win Grand Slams. It would be a remarkable achievement if they were to do it, but I think this France team might be too strong for them. They played some incredible rugby last week in defeat to England and if they hit that level for part of the game tonight, then Wales will not be able to hold them.
Who do you feel has rubberstamped their Lions places and how many Scots do you now expect can make the cut?
As ever, it has been a rollercoaster for Scottish potential Lions and the two defeats have certainly jeopardised some players chances. Definite picks for me right now are Hogg, Finn Russell and Hamish Watson. Players who are in the mix are Rory Sutherland, Zander Fagerson, Jonny Gray, Jamie Ritchie and Duhan van der Merwe but the competition is fierce and a big positive win for Scotland will certainly give them a better chance of selection.
It’s certainly been a memorable Six Nations, for reasons on and off the field of play. What’s your main takeaway from what will hopefully be the first and last time we endure a campaign without any spectators?
Six Nations with no fans is awful. Super Saturday will not be as super without the fans. Don’t get me wrong, it has been incredible that this tournament has been staged during a pandemic when the virus was at large throughout Europe. It was inevitable that there would be an outbreak of Covid but, thankfully, it was a small one and only affected one country. The colour, the atmosphere, the noise that the fans bring to the host cities as well as the stadiums is what makes the Six Nations so special and roll on 2022 when they are back!