EARLY TEST FOR BRAVE NEW ERA
Gray insists Scots have to stick with attacking philosophy
HISTORY can weigh heavily on a side, even one that has the appearance of being in the ascendancy after casting off some unwanted baggage. Scotland face New Zealand today at BT Murrayfield all too aware of their record against the most daunting of visitors: 109 years, 29 matches, not one victory.
While brave and determined faces will no doubt meet the haka before kick-off, it is what happens next that counts. The ghosts of failure past can be difficult to dispel.
Yet, if one errs on the side of optimism, there are reasons to believe for the Scots.
To begin with, All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen has made 13 changes to the side who defeated England at Twickenham last week. While skipper Richie McCaw and the talismanic Dan Carter will play, some of the big guns have been holstered.
In contrast, fellow Kiwi Vern Cotter has retained the same starting XV for Scotland, who performed admirably in the 41-31 victory over Argentina seven days ago.
Consistency of performance is also required, of course, but the four tries the Scots scored in the first 60 minutes of that match bode well. The indiscipline that led to a late resurgence for the Pumas is hopefully a lesson learned. After all, the All Blacks need no invitation to expose a stretched defence.
But confidence is high within the Scotland camp. And Richie Gray, who impressed alongside his brother Jonny in the second row last week, is in bullish mood.
The 25-year-old has been on the end of two heavy defeats to the All Blacks in his career but believes he can shake off those disappointments — and create a much-longed for piece of history.
‘We can’t get ahead of ourselves but that first 60 minutes (against Argentina) was one of the best attacking performances I have been involved in for Scotland,’ said Gray, who has amassed 40 caps.
‘We feel we have a chance (against the All Blacks) and it is absolutely fantastic to hear that the Scotland fans believe we have one, too.
‘We are not going to go into our shells, we want to stick to our attacking philosophy — the one we have spoken about a lot over the last few weeks — and most of all we want to impose our game on New Zealand.’
On the two occasions Gray has played against New Zealand, Scotland were down and out by half-time. In 2010, they were 28-3 behind after 35 minutes before losing 49-3. And, two years later, the Scots were 32-10 down after a similar period of time, finally being defeated 51-22.
‘They may have been well ahead in my last two games but New Zealand have the ability to win matches with bursts at any time, so we have to be at the top of our game from start to finish,’ continued the Castres star.
‘They play with great accuracy and they seem to do the simple things very well. Because they are doing that, they constantly keep pressure on other teams.
‘ If you can keep sustaining pressure, then any team in the world will become tired against them.
‘You have to stay with them early because they are able to pull away in the last quarter as there has been so much pressure up until then.
‘Hopefully that will not be the case this time and we can impose ourselves on them.’
The last time the Scots were spared defeat to the Kiwis was
“You have to stay with them early on”
1983 — 18 Tests ago — when they drew 25-25 in Edinburgh. A 0-0 stalemate in 1964 is the only other result of note.
It is 23 years since they managed to get even within 10 points of the world champions. That match the 1991 World Cup third-place play- off, took place before five members of Cotter’s starting XV for today’s clash — Jonny Gray, Adam Ashe, Finn Russell, Mark Bennett and Stuart Hogg — were born. New Zealand won 13-6.
But the Scotland head coach would rather not focus on a history lesson. ‘The record against New Zealand has been spoken about around the place,’ he said. ‘The only thing we have control of, however, is the instant.
‘The past has no bearing over what we are doing. We are not bothered about what has happened before.
‘We don’t need to worry about the future, either. All we need to do is focus fully on this match and concentrate on each instant as it passes.
‘It’s the here and now that counts. If we give 100 per cent against the All Blacks during those instances, then you never know.’
Cotter is also trying to put the personal significance of his side’s meeting with his compatriots to one side. Instead of becoming dewy- eyed about f acing his countrymen, he says the prospect of landing a glove on the best side in the world is what is really raising his blood pressure.
Asked if the clash would be extra special for him, the head coach — preparing for only his sixth game in charge of Scotland — said: ‘I knew the question was coming and I can’t say it isn’t.
‘But it is a game everybody says you have no chance of winning. Reasonable people are saying this. The logic says we will lose.
‘But our players have got big hearts and they really want to give this match their best shot.
‘So that’s what I’m looking forward to most — the challenge and seeing our players get up and have a go against the best in the world.’