MAKE IT COUNT
Hansen urges Scots to hit world heights
ALL BLACKS head coach Steve Hansen has thrown down the gauntlet to Scotland to show they can be among the best teams in world rugby.
Hansen admitted yesterday that ‘alarm bells’ were ringing as his double world champions were taken to the brink at Murrayfield.
Now he wants Scotland to build on their narrow 22-17 defeat and become a force in the game.
‘There are encouraging signs there for Scotland and the trick for them now is to repeat that sort of performance week in and week out,’ Hansen said in an exclusive interview with
Sportsmail yesterday. ‘That is not an easy thing to do.
‘They played a great game against us and I am looking forward to watching the game again to see where they stretched
us. They really stood up and were counted for their country. ‘They have been improving over the last year and a half and that was an impressive performance. They are a team on the up and they showed that against us but have to keep doing it.’ Hansen admitted his team were rattled by the Scotland performance and added: ‘If some of their attitude was wrong to begin with, the way Scotland played from the start changed that for them. ‘You could sense it. You think things are going along quite nicely then there are little things that give you alarm bells. ‘I don’t think we were complacent but sometimes preparation and playing is a difficult thing. ‘It is a bit like cleaning the windows. You clean them really well and when you are desperate and urgent, you get the corner bits. When you are not, you don’t. You still think the window is clean but it is not. You’ve got to clean it properly every week. You can’t miss a bit out in Test rugby.’ Hansen highlighted the performance of Stuart Hogg but added that it was more the collective effort from Scotland that left a lasting memory. ‘Stuart Hogg can’t do what he does unless the other guys round him do what they do, so you should talk about them too,’ said Hansen. ‘The Scotland team was outstanding and played to the best of their ability.’ Hogg came agonisingly close to a last-gasp try that would have levelled the scores and given Finn Russell the opportunity of a match-winning conversation. Only a terrific tackle from Beauden Barrett saved the visitors, although the All Blacks’ star man feared he had blundered in the build-up. ‘We knew they weren’t going to kick the ball away and were coming for us at the end,’ said Barrett. ‘We decided to kick long and try to hold them out. We were aware of their attacking threats, particularly out wide in Hogg. He’s obviously a great attacking player. ‘There was one point I thought I gave him too much space on the outside and I was worried, but I was relieved to see the outcome as it was. ‘Scotland are a quality side and we knew with five points in it that they weren’t going to set up for a drop goal. They threw the ball around and found the space. They really tested us in a lot of areas.’ Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend admitted the ‘massive intensity’ from the first whistle was due to the inspiration they had taken from watching Doddie Weir walking out on to the pitch to deliver the match ball. Weir, who is battling motor neurone disease, had been with the Scotland team during the week and Townsend said: ‘All of us in the coaching box were holding back our emotions and our tears. ‘Doddie’s message and the way Scottish Rugby had put that together, and then Doddie coming out with his family was great and tough to see at the same time. ‘Just having Doddie in the camp and speaking to the guys was fantastic. ‘I felt there was anticipation on top of that too because it was the All Blacks. We got a lot of energy from a sell-out crowd and I’m sure by the way the players performed, they’re very proud of their team.’ Townsend will assess his squad during this week ahead of the match with Australia, who travel to Edinburgh frustrated at their defeat to England. And the Scotland coach said: ‘We know Australia better than New Zealand, as we played them twice in the last 12 months, the last time in the summer. ‘We’ve got to be better next week. In every game, we want to take what we’ve learned and be a better team. ‘Australia will be hurting, for the defeat to England and against us in the summer. ‘We’ve got arguably an even bigger challenge next week. We’ll have to be better.’