Jonny says Scots can cope without Richie
Should Scotland go for livewire Price or rock-steady Laidlaw?
IT’S a good problem to have. But, when Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend sits down with his assistant Mike Blair in the team hotel this evening, the dilemma over who to start at scrumhalf against Wales could well dominate their discussion.
There appears to be little debate over the make-up of much of the side that will run out in Cardiff on Saturday to kick-off the Six Nations. Both form and injury have seen to that.
And so it is the No 9 jersey, a choice between Ali Price or Greig Laidlaw, that stands out as the one position where a decision is still to be made. In that regard, having Blair on hand to bounce ideas off will be invaluable to Townsend.
The 36-year-old amassed 85 caps for his country at scrum-half, toured with the British and Irish Lions and knows both players first hand. Not that having all of that expertise will make splitting the duo any easier.
Ultimately, Blair admits that the type of game Townsend wants to play will influence his final decision.Want to make a disciplined, steady start with tactical kicking? Then Clermont’s Laidlaw, whose game management is second to none, fits the bill.
Try and catch Wales cold by playing a high-tempo all out attacking game from the whistle? In that case, then, Glasgow Warriors livewire Price is your man.
‘It is all about whose style suits our game,’ said Blair yesterday. ‘You weigh up what the strengths are of each player and how that’s going to fit for a particular game. We have been doing that and will continue to do that until you guys hear what the team is on Wednesday.’
After Price’s displays during the autumn Test series, when Laidlaw was missing through injury, many, including Sportsmail columnists Andy Nicol and Jason White, would be surprised if he did not get the nod for Wales. His style of fast, attacking play seems more in keeping with the Townsend way and his passionate displays have made him a fans’ favourite.
Blair, playing his cards close to his chest, acknowledged that Price is one of the most exciting players in the Scotland squad and is a gamechanger. But, in his next breath, he praised Laidlaw, highlighting his performances on last summer’s Lions tour and talked up his experience.
Out for two months after breaking his leg in November, Laidlaw played 80 minutes at the weekend for his French club in their narrow 30-29 defeat to Vern Cotter’s Montpellier.
And he had a 15-minute cameo a fortnight ago but questions still remain about whether he is match fit for the Six Nations.
Blair is adamant, however, and when asked if Laidlaw would have had enough game time to be thrown straight into the fray, he insisted: ‘Yes. Greig will be ready for Wales.
‘He has shown that he is match fit and hasn’t picked up any extra injuries, so he’ll be available for selection.
‘Ali played for Scotland in November when Greig was injured but Greig is one of the most competitive guys you could ever meet. He loves playing, loves organising things and if there’s a challenge he’ll attack it head on.
‘With Greig’s fitness, he’s going to be able to get to breakdowns quickly and get the ball away. We saw that a number of times on the Lions trip where he was able to add real tempo to the game.’
Whoever starts and whoever warms the bench, it is clear both players will have a role to play in Cardiff.
‘Both are absolutely fantastic players,’ continued Blair. ‘They are inter-changeable at the top level and have great skills. We are in a good place with the two of them — and Nathan Fowles and Henry Pyrgos.
‘Greig has come on as a player massively since our time playing together at Edinburgh way back in 2007 and with Scotland.
‘The thing that caught my eye even then was the amount of time he spent on his own game working on his passing.
‘Watching him for Clermont on Sunday on television it hit home how good his footwork is. He is not taking extra steps to the ball and is able to whip the ball away. His game has moved on. A lot of it is natural talent but a lot is that ability to work on his game.
‘When I first went to Glasgow in the summer two-and-a-half years ago, Ali Price played a couple of games off the bench but had not played a huge amount. When he did, his ability was clear to see.
‘That speed of pass is something he’s worked hard on. His kicking game is something that has improved the most.
‘When I was talking to him, I recall that his main aim was to make his worst kick not as bad as a one out of ten. Now we have done that and his worst kick is maybe a nine out of ten.
‘On top of that, his pace is great and he brings a running threat around the breakdown and has genuine speed.
‘We have some excellent nines to pick from going down to Wales.’
Both are interchangeable at the top level and are real class players