Scots fail to benefit by bold selection

Adventurous pairing of Hastings with Russell in midfield did not work

missed four relatively simple penalty kicks and fumbled the ball six metres from the line in a last-gasp desperation attack.

If we were measuring this autumn on the same gauge as last autumn, it’s surely a regression.

The Scots then had similar injury issues (two front rows’ worth, plus no Greig Laidlaw) but had a fresh style that caught most opponents off guard.

That element of surprise was gone by the Six Nations, and of course very little of what Scotland did was surprising this autumn.

But this is international rugby, where coaches spend the evening of the game looking at video and then most of Sunday as well, and then spend most spare moments getting up to speed on everyone else.

Every international game is visible; nothing stays shocking or remarkable for long. Scotland’s super-speed game under Townsend was old news by Cardiff in February for those who cared to look.

The obvious reaction is to look for more innovation, and maybe that’s what Townsend was looking for when he paired Adam Hastings with Finn Russell in midfield. It was pure experimentation, and that’s what makes one more optimistic about where Scotland are, and thinking a sideways step this autumn is no calamity.

Townsend has an eye for an adventurous selection, and this was his most blatant so far.

But it didn’t work, and most of that had to do with Russell rather than Hastings, who was the man hooked after an hour’s play.

I felt sorry for Adam; he’d made Scotland’s two best solo breaks of the game, neither properly exploited because he didn’t have his Glasgow sidekick George Horne reading his moves and running his brilliant support lines.

Hastings was also simply overenthusiastic on occasion, giving away two penalties trying too hard.

A third was not even his fault, doing well to retrieve ball but being abandoned by three team-mates who were sluggish to clear out as he went to ground.

He had a few hopeful rather than incisive kicks and was a bit too lateral taking the ball to the line, but deserved better.

Russell was the issue, and not because he played terribly badly. He seemed isolated from the action at 12. The extra time he had in midfield just made him indecisive.

The spring in his step when he went back to 10 was visible to all.

Maybe the combination would work against a team where Scotland had some front-foot ball – maybe Samoa or Japan in the World Cup – but it was not really feasible against an Argentina, a South Africa, or really any of our forthcoming Six Nations cousins. It’s Russell “or” Hastings, rather than “and”.

That front-foot ball is another issue. Townsend thought his side had done better at the breakdown than against Africa, but again they were under the cosh physically, didn’t make much ground and the speed of ball for Laidlaw was often pedestrian.

Josh Strauss, brought back to provide that oomph, didn’t pass the audition.

Scotland will be better on their own ball and their opponents’ if John Barclay returns to fitness and form, but he’s far from the complete solution. There are further back-row options – David Denton, Magnus Bradbury and we missed the opportunity to see something

Townsend has an eye for an adventurous selection and this was his most blatant so far