Cotter’s Scots have reason for optimism but must not be left kicking themselves
THE decision to kick or not to kick on a dank, dark night in Paris is an argument that will be lost in time but, at the conclusion of the World Cup warm-up phase, it provided perhaps the clearest sign of Scotland’s health heading into the 2015 showpiece.
Physically, our finest players caught up with the leading nations in the world long ago with a succession of world-class physios, strength and conditioning coaches and more astute application. Mentally, however, a question-mark has hovered over every team in recent World Cups.
Do they have the capacity to cope under pressure in the full glare of a tournament spotlight, to turn undoubted promise, hard graft and potential into victories?
Sure, the players talk about winning, confidence and belief, but so they would. Do they genuinely believe they are good enough to emerge triumphant from arm-wrestles with lowerranked nations and almighty clashes with the world’s best?
That was where the team’s decision to run the ball against France threw up a bright, clear insight to the current squad’s make-up.
As those of us who have seen countless near things in France yelled to kick for goal and claim something, anything, from the game, Greig Laidlaw, Finn Russell and the senior players said: ‘No, let’s got for the win.’
These are players from a different generation, youngsters bursting with ambition and unbridled as yet by the weight of Scottish expectation and depressing narrative of a continual struggle punctuated by all-too-brief glories.
They dismissed the possibility of a draw in the belief that there will be plenty more chances across the next decade.
They returned home believing that they had French for the taking and it matters little that they did not finish them off, because that will come.
There was a shared ethos that a draw means nothing in a world where winning is everything.
What was more valuable was finding out how to carve out victory in the closing stages, or not, and take the lesson into the games that mean something tangible.
Head coach Vern Cotter has encouraged that approach, bringing a Kiwi mentality of strong self-belief allied to learning lessons — but don’t, whatever you do, leave the pitch with regrets.
There is a refreshing ebullience within this squad, which has them dismissing the whitewashed Six Nations as little more than a key part of their learning.
There is now an intense focus on Japan as the opening opponent, but it is not difficult to evoke agreement that anything less than a quarter-final finish would represent failure in this World Cup.
Many supporters will feel we have been here before, but as the cynicism detector starts to rise, let us look more closely at the reasons for optimism.
It starts and ends with the quality of the players, and the squad now boasts more pace, skill and power across the board than at any stage in the professional era.
Scotland has a strong core who have come through an improved Scottish rugby coaching and development structure and emerged into a more successful professional environment.
There are 20 Glasgow players in the 31, players who have developed a stronger mental psyche in a few years of coming close but leaving without the cigar, and finally turning it round to not just win the Guinness Pro12 trophy but confidently overcome Munster in the final.
Add in the Edinburgh front row, newcomers Willem Nel, John Hardie and Josh Strauss, fit-again Grant Gilchrist, Laidlaw, David Denton and Alasdair Strokosch, and, setting aside arguments over the eligibility rules, there are enticing options.
The Scotland forward pack proved in the games with Italy and France that they possess a physical strength able to cope with the most powerful out there. That will be vital — especially in the games with the US, South Africa and Samoa.
The scrum is solid but needs work on its consistency. The lineout was generally top-notch but the error by Fraser Brown late on against the French should ensure nothing is taken for granted.
Laidlaw has again proven himself the most astute captain currently at Scotland’s disposal, and, under pressure from Henry Pyrgos and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, has improved his game again. Russell provides a new thrusting focus at No10 but is not alone.
He has other creators in Peter Horne, Matt Scott, Bennett and Stuart Hogg and, crucially, pacy finishers like Tim Visser, Tommy Seymour, Sean Maitland, Hogg and Bennett with the speed, strength and daring to ask questions and exploit gaps.
The challenge for the Scots is always to produce the goods on a consistent basis, to retain the belief not to fall off the high tempo necessary to deliver Cotter’s game-plan and compound errors.
Can this team do that? They remain young, with more experience ahead than behind them, but they are promising more as a team than we have witnessed in some years.
Holders New Zealand start as favourites because every player who steps into the black jersey comes through a system where consistency is key.
Flash rugby is good, but executing the basics quicker and more powerfully than your opponents remains their mantra.
If teams are shaped in the mould of their coach, it is no surprise that there is a distinct lack of fear in Cotter’s charges.
However, improvement is still necessary for us to share their confidence.