DAVID SOLE

‘ Tour would’ve been ideal to put past troubles behind them

Had the world not been engulfed by the Covid-19 crisis, this weekend would have seen Scotland playing their Second Test match against reigning World Cup champions South Africa.

The first match, a week earlier, would have been the first Test match that South Africa had played since lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy in Japan late last year.

The Scots would then have been boarding a plane to travel to New Zealand to take on the All Blacks in Dunedin, the Edinburgh of the southern hemisphere.

It would have been a daunting, challenging tour for Gregor Townsend’s men, particularly after an unconvincing Six Nations – and with the rift between the coach and his star player still unresolved.

At least there has been no public declaration as yet that Finn Russell has been welcomed back into the international set-up with open arms.

The tour would have been the ideal opportunity to put their past troubles behind them and to move onwards and upwards, despite Adam Hastings growing into the role of playmaker in Russell’s absence.

It would also have been a great opportunity for some Scottish players to lay down a marker for the British & Irish Lions selectors, in advance of a return to the republic in 2021.

So how would Scotland have fared? It is easy to become frustrated with the inconsistency of Townsend’s team.

At times, they can be brilliant, pushing the very best in the world to the limit.

Remember the autumn international against the All Blacks a couple of years ago?

They can also be abject and awful, as they demonstrated against Ireland in their opening match of the World Cup in Japan.

They can raise their game, however, and it would not have surprised me if they had done well in South Africa.

The hard grounds would suit the fast, open style of rugby that Townsend espouses, and with Russell at the helm and on top of his game, the Springboks could have been in for a real fright.

South Africa won the World Cup principally because of their power game. They had huge forwards and a very physical midfield, yet when the ball was moved very wide they looked quite vulnerable.

This would have suited Scotland and with the likes of Stuart Hogg, Darcey Graham and the newly-qualified Duhan van der Merwe in a back three, Scotland have a very potent attacking force.

We shall never know whether the Scots would have defeated the World Champions. But Greig Laidlaw went on record to state that the team was not far off winning a Six Nations title.

A tough tour to the southern hemisphere, to take on the best in the world, would have been a great learning experience.

Yet more for Covid-19 to answer for!