The schedule is tight — but Scots are still on right track
It is right to stick them out there to do the same again
SCOTLAND came late to this World Cup party but made a huge i mpact with t heir 45-10 win over Japan. After waiting so long to be part of the action, Vern Cotter’s side are having to contend with just a four-day turnaround before facing the USA tomorrow.
Scheduling games in this tournament has been a major talking point this week. Many claimed the short break between Japan’s heroic win over South Africa and then facing up t o Scotland i nfluenced t heir performance — and subsequently the result.
This argument gained support when Fiji were forced to cope with a five-day turnaround between their opening game against England and then facing Australia.
The Fijians found themselves 25-3 down to the Aussies early in the second half but found the energy to rally before eventually going down 28-13. The tight scheduling, therefore, was not the sole reason for their defeat.
Fans are entitled to assume that the players are fit enough to be able to cope with playing two games with only four days rest.
Of course they are, but that is not the issue. The point is that the games are so physical these days and so quick, that every player has small injuries to contend with at the end of each match.
The impacts are huge; imagine running into a brick wall up to 50 times in an 80-minute period and see how you feel afterwards. After a few days, you would still be feeling the effects.
All the Scotland players who played against Japan at Gloucester will have had some soft-tissue injuries to deal with — sore shoulders, dead legs, stiffness in joints — and they will have immediately started the rehab after the game.
This will involve jumping in the ice baths and ensuring they are drinking and eating the right things to aid this recovery.
It is all very scientific and will allow the five players who started against Japan to start against USA feeling close to full fitness.
The fact that Scotland have made 10 changes illustrates that the bigger rugby nations can cope with the tight scheduling of games better than the smaller countries.
Japan definitely tired in the second half against Scotland because they had to pick, largely, the same team which gave so much in their superb triumph over South Africa.
Cotter has the luxury of making wholesale changes and not impacting on the overall quality of the team.
Josh Strauss in for Dave Denton does not weaken the back row and Al Strokosch is like-for-like with Ryan Wilson.
The position where we are light is openside. John Hardie is having to front up again despite his huge effort on Wednesday.
His work-rate was phenomenal, making 21 tackles, the most by a Scot, and being a constant threat at the breakdown where he had to smash into the rucks whether in attack or defence.
I imagine he was very sore after the game but he is playing tomorrow and has to do it all over again.
Cotter is spot- on with his backs selection, keeping Finn Russell, Mark Bennett and Stuart Hogg in the starting team.
They were immense against Japan, initially in defence and then, when Scotland started to win some good ball, they were at the heart of all the attacking play that was so sharp and so clinical.
It is different with the backs. Russell and Bennett made tackles in midfield — but far fewer than the forwards, so they should still be quite fresh.
They are full of confidence from playing so well. It is right to stick them back out there and ask them to do the same again.