Wallaby win shows Scots way forward Gdown
Gregor Townsend turned
the opportunity to help coach the Lions to ensure he was available to start his career in charge of Scotland this summer and that decision would seem well vindicated as he looks back on two fine wins over Italy and Australia, while a less impressive 27-22 defeat in Fiji will also provide food for thought.
The win over Australia in Sydney was the tour highlight, indeed it was one of the standout moments of a busy summer of rugby worldwide, and probably offers the template going forward with great defence, good setpiece, clear decision making and real flair in attack when the opportunity arose. Scotland have abundant skill in their squad these days, they need to find ways of utilising it.
In contrast, the following week they missed nearly 30 tackles against the Fijians and conceded too many kickable penalties. All of which will go into the mix as Townsend considers the future.
There are certainly some big decisions to make this autumn. Last season’s skipper Greig Laidlaw was called into the Lions squad before they left for New Zealand following the withdrawal of Ben Youngs and in his absence the lively Ali Price enhanced his reputation as a scrum-half who can help make Scotland tick.
Meanwhile stand-in skipper John Barclay was again an impressive figure even defying a painful back spasm to play in the final game against Fiji while Finn Russell was his usual effervescent self and kicked his goals before his Lions call up as one of the “Geography Six”.
Scotland now have an alternative as captain, an improving Test class goalkicker and an attack minded scrum-half which would indicate Laidlaw will come under renewed pressure for his starting spot. But it won’t be as simple as all that.
In England Dylan Hartley has demonstrated how having the right squad captain can be pivotal in how that group develops. That will come into the equation as well.
Townsend is being presented with difficult but welcome selectorial options. Saracens centre Duncan Taylor is back to where he was two seasons ago before injury interrupted his development as a classy Test centre and Townsend will be glad to see WP Nel back to his best also, although Zander Fagerson continues to impress.
Meanwhile, with Stuart Hogg and Jonny Gray touch and go for the autumn games following surgery to shoulder and wrist injuries respectively, Townsend will have been pleased to see Greig Tonks go well at fullback and both Tim Swinson and Ben Toolis show up well at lock. The strength in depth is building.
“We’ve got the template from the win over Australia on how we can beat the best teams in the world,” says Townsend. “And against Fiji we saw another template as how we will struggle against teams that are in the top 10, top 15 in the world, if we don’t get things right.
“Hopefully we’ll get more determination and realisation that if we don’t do our defence well or get through our phases in attack then we’re going to give teams opportunities to beat us.”
Elsewhere it was unlikely that even a Lionless Ireland were ever going to slip up against USA or the Cherry Blossoms in a double header in Japan but Joe Schmidt must have been delighted with the sheer quality of some of his team’s attacking play and tries. Ireland crossed for 21 tries in total during the three Tests and attacked with a pleasing fluency.
Munster wing Keith Earls grabbed four tries to make it nine in his last ten Test appearances and underline that he was perhaps was of the unluckier players to miss out on a Lions call-up. Centre Garry Ringrose again impressed but was playing with a shoulder issue which he and Leinster decided needed operating on when he returned so it could be touch and go whether he is fit for the autumn.
Outwardly Italy’s three defeats seem to continue a depressing recent trend after their whitewash in the Six Nations but Conor O’Shea’s tired and depleted squad, after being well beaten in Singapore by Scotland, gave an excellent account of themselves in difficult conditions in Suva when they should have beaten Fiji. They had also closed to within one point of Australia late in that game before the Wallabies finally put them away.
“I’m gutted we lost the Tests, we always want to win, but I’m so proud because over three weeks together you can see how good we’ve become,” was O’Shea’s verdict. “In the last two matches in particular we played like Italy, we didn’t try and pay like anybody else. We were trying to play our way. I’m fast forwarding two years to a World Cup when I have four months with them in the lead up and I am very optimistic. We have to stay mentally and physically strong because we’re competing at the highest level against the top teams. We’re not getting any easy opponents. As long as we keep on working and learning we’ll turn that corner.”
Italy, however, do face a critical autumn in their development with matches against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa who they defeated last November in Florence. They need to win one and possibly even two of those matches to offer more tangible evidence that real progress is being made.
Finally mentions for Georgia and Wales. The Georgians rested a few old warriors and insisted a couple of their young stars stay at home with their U20 squad at the World Junior Championship but managed solid enough road wins against the USA and Canada and unveiled some much improved attacking form against Argentina, although the Pumas won easily enough 45-29.
A young inexperienced Wales meanwhile offered a much needed game for Tonga in Auckland and then flew the flag excellently in Samoa, taking a big game to the islands and engaging fully with the local rugby community. Better still they won a tough old game 19-17. Hopefully other Home Unions will follow.