Scots’ success hinges on Paris performance
Brendan Gallagher looks at key issues Gregor Townsend must address
ROUND THREE is usually pivotal in most Six Nations tournaments and you sense that more than ever with Scotland as they contemplate a trip to Paris to tackle team of the moment France. Which way is Gregor Townsend’s team heading?
The powerful, controlled, stroppy, indomitable Scotland side that claimed their first win at Twickenham in 38 years will give even a resurgent France a run for their money and with two home games to follow at Murrayfield – Italy and then Ireland – Scotland would be genuine Championship contenders, no question.
But the fretful ‘second half ’ Scotland line-up that squandered a 17-3 lead against Wales a week later and lost discipline would surely suffer a painful fate at the Stade de France. A bad defeat and Scotland would be back in the Six Nations hinterland again, fighting to salvage their season rather than challenging for silverware.
So a stressful week awaits with plenty for Gregor Townsend to ponder on. The big picture is that Scotland, save for that untidy last 25 minutes against Wales, are playing exceptionally well with countless individuals putting their hands up for Lions selection which is always a pretty good guide.
There is much to enthuse over and somehow Townsend must ensure that message isn’t lost amid the disappointment of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against Wales.
But there are nonetheless issues that need dealing with. Hamish Watson – and even Sir Ian McGeechan – initially tried to defend Zander Fagerson but his challenge was clearly a red card offence and the knock on of that is that Scotland will be under closer scrutiny than ever at the breakdown against France.
Much the same applies to referee Wayne Barnes who in the first instance missed Peter O’Mahony’s ugly challenge against Wales. Everybody will need to be squeaky clean and Scotland, if they are wise, will reappraise their clear-out technique in training this week.
Townsend must clearly find a replacement for Fagerson, for the rest of the tournament after the influential prop copped a four-week ban for his ill-disciplined clear-out of Wyn Jones last week. The experienced WP Nel is the obvious man and although Fagerson is a force of nature these days, Nel is no mean scrummager himself. Scotland’s growing strength in depth is beginning to become apparent.
All squads pick up injuries, but those to Cameron Redpath and outstanding flanker Jamie Ritchie in particular, have come at a bad time. It was a toss-up which of the two – both former England U20 internationals curiously – was MOM at Twickenham and both are key players for Scotland going forward. We await injury updates this week to see if there is any chance of either playing at the weekend.
Sean Maitland, also missing against the Welsh, is another whose sheer solidity and allcourt game might be useful in Paris despite the more obvious scoring threat that Darcy Graham provides.
Then there is the scrum-half issue. Ali Price has always been much favoured by Townsend, but although the Glasgow man has been busy enough, his game has been mainly frantic and erratic in the last two games. Is it time for the calmer, smoother, but less electric Sam Hidalgo-Clyne to be given a chance or even Scott Steele, who came off the bench last week.
Scotland have no fear of France, not even the new allsinging, all-dancing France. They have won two of their last three games including that very good Six Nations victory last year when they got under French skins which eventually caused callow prop Mohamed Haouas to lose the plot and, with his dismissal, the game.
And this group is beginning to tick off the ‘must dos’ in Scottish rugby. In last year’s tournament they claimed Scotland’s first win in Wales for 18 years and then there was victory at Twickenham earlier this month. They haven’t won in Paris since 1999 so why not target that record as well?
As for France they might have ticked off their opening two away wins with the minimum of drama but with two of their front line coaches – Fabian Galthie and William Servat – testing positive for Covid, along with star scrumhalf Antoine Dupont, prop Mohamed Haouas and winger
“A bad defeat and Scotland are back in the Six Nations hinterland again”
Gabin Villiere they have had plenty to contend with this week.
All the players were tested on their return from Dublin on Monday night – and initially came back negative – but after being sent home for the week Dupont, who had appeared alongside Gathie at an awards ceremony on the Monday night, came back positive. France now nervously await the results of further tests on squad members when they reassemble in Marcoussis tomorrow.
So France have been keeping in touch remotely on zoom all week. They have impressed thus far, clinical without ever engaging top gear in Rome, pragmatic and disciplined in Dublin. Their 15-13 win was narrow and hard earned but I would factor in that, first
Ireland played very well and, second French wins at the Aviva are rare. It was a notable result.
Twice they moved up through the gears with startling alacrity to score excellent tries and there is unquestionably another level at which this French team can operate. Producing that A game for longer sustained periods is probably their next challenge.
They weren’t perfect. Although Mathieu Jallibert produced a thoroughly respectable game you could sense, with the cameras picking out Galthie in the stands at judicious times, a little frustration from the French coach with his fly-half, especially when he hit the woodwork with a relatively simple penalty attempt towards the end that would have given France more breathing space.
In the centre, young Arthur Vincent, a double junior World Cup winner, is a fine prospect and offers a lot but as well as taking a few wrong options he is a very different player to Virimi Vakatawa who is still side-lined with a knee ligament injury.
Vakatawa is the big loss at present. There is no direct replacement for his power and pace in midfield and the impact and carnage he causes helps free space for others. He could be back after the next fallow week – ie for the visit to Twickenham – and that is when Romain Ntamack is also expected to return after his broken jaw. The selection between Ntamack and Jailibert will be close especially if the latter enjoys a sparkling game in attack against the Scots but if Vakatawa is fit expect him to thrown in immediately.
“There is no hiding place in the Six Nations,” says defence coach Shaun Edwards. “We’ve made a decent start. Wins in Dublin are always hard-earned and worth celebrating but we will learn a lot about his side in the coming weeks. I’ve been impressed with the Scots and we had two tough games against them last year, England away is England away, and Wales have made a good start to their campaign.
“My focus is still mainly on defence and discipline. If I can get the defence anywhere near as good as the attack we have a serious team. We want to be regular Six Nations winners and to achieve that we must be strong and disciplined in defence.”