Blair: Final 40 Japan hopefuls have it all to play for
MIKE BLAIR is unsurprisingly vague when the topic of conversation turns to precisely how many places remain up for grabs in Gregor Townsend’s Rugby World Cup squad.
But, then, in modern rugby, where accident and injury can lurk around each corner, it is wise to keep your options open.
Officially 40 players remain in camp, battling it out for 31 spots.
In reality, the competition in the three tune-up matches that remain before the squad is revealed at the historic surroundings of Linlithgow Palace on Tuesday, September 3, will be far more limited than that.
Most observers could probably take a pretty fair stab this morning at about 20 names that will be on the plane to Japan on Monday, September 9, barring any of those eventualities.
That would leave 20 players, say, battling it out for the final 11 spots, albeit in a scenario where the Scotland coaching staff must ensure there is adequate cover for all positions.
Only three scrum-halves, for instance, remain in the group – Greig Laidlaw, Ali Price and George Horne – and it is entirely feasible Scotland take all three.
Further clues about the approach will come when Townsend names his team for the first tune-up match, against the French in Nice on Saturday night, today.
“It is probably a bit of everything,” said Blair, attempting to define the imperfect science that will be picking his teams for the back-to-back matches against France and Georgia, the last of which comes at Murrayfield some three days after the squad announcement.
“The squad isn’t 100 per cent nailed down for that 31. Some guys will have an opportunity to put their hands up for that,” added this veteran of three World Cup squads. “At the same time, we need to get some cohesion in particular positions and units.
“We’ll use the opportunity to make sure they know each other’s game well. There’s also blooding guys, giving guys opportunity, making sure everyone is Test-match ready.
“So there’s no definitive answer. We’re looking at lots of different ways of using these warm-up games.
“There are a few positions up for grabs. It is certainly not a closed book. I can’t give you a number. And there are four games, aren’t there? The thought is most guys will get at least a couple of games to show what they can do at international level.”
Such comments leave the door tantalisingly ajar for the four uncapped players still in the squad – Rory Hutchinson of Northampton Saints, and forwards Blade Thomson of Scarlets, and Grant Stewart and Scott Cummings of Glasgow Warriors.
On the scrum-halves specifically, something of Blair’s specialist subject, he appeared to take the opposite view to Eddie Jones, who named just two No.9s, Leicester’s Ben Youngs and Gloucester’s Willi Heinz, when he named his 31-man group on Monday.
“I think that’s a risk,” said Blair. “I don’t know how quickly they can fly someone out if someone’s sick overnight, but it’s a way of getting an extra back-row player or an extra centre.
“They’ve got a good dynamic, the three guys left behind,” said Blair. “Henry [Pyrgos] did well while he was in camp but it’s a really competitive position, so someone was always going to drop out.
“Part of that is that when you have four scrum-halves in 15-on-15 training they don’t rotate a lot so they don’t get the reps they’d normally get, but when you are down to three they rotate pretty well and still get rhythm and fitness.
“We’re really confident in the guys we’ve got left, that they’re capable of doing a job and are putting their hand up to be first-choice 9.”
Part of Townsend’s modus operandi is sharing knowledge from other sports, with the latest guest speaker being Ryder Cup hero Stephen Gallacher, part of GB & NI’s winning team from Gleneagles in 2014.
“He was good fun, talking about his Ryder Cup experiences,” said Blair.
There are a few positions up for grabs. The thought is most guys will get at least a couple of games to show what they can do