NO TIME FOR REGRETS
Scotland out to storm Cardiff once more and scratch a 16-year itch
A MID the victory celebrations, there lingered a few significant regrets. Perhaps, if the Scotland players who beat Wales in Cardiff back in 2002 had realised we would be waiting another 16 years — and counting — for a follow-up win, they would have given a freer reign to their joy and relief.
But it says everything about the esteem in which those players held the late, great and much-missed Bill McLaren that some among their number felt as if they had almost let him down.
The Voice of Rugby was hanging up his microphone on that April afternoon. While the Scots were happy to send the always impartial McLaren on his way with a result for the good guys, then, a grinding win courtesy of two rumbling touchdowns from a hooker and a decent kicking performance hardly felt fitting.
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, a player in what is still our most recent victory over Wales in the Principality, recalled: ‘I remember line-out drives… and Gordie Bulloch scoring two tries.
‘I recall the game because it was important to us, not just because we were playing for Scotland, which is always very important. But we knew it was going to be Bill McLaren’s last game. And we were delighted we won.
‘There was disappointment that his last game wasn’t an epic of free-flowing rugby. Little did we know then that it would be the last win for a long time.
‘But, even in that run where Scotland haven’t done as well as Wales, they’ve been good games.
‘There’s something about that fixture, probably because of the supporters, with the thousands that come up to Edinburgh and the thousands that go down to Cardiff from Scotland. It’s a fun fixture with a great atmosphere at both stadiums.’
Demonstrating a magnanimous ability to enjoy even the days that went against our boys, Townsend singled out that 2010 game in Cardiff, vividly recalled in
Sportsmail yesterday, when the Welsh scored 17 points in five minutes to complete a remarkable 31-24 comeback victory.
‘One of the games that didn’t go well was one of the best Six Nations games ever, with the rugby and Wales’ comeback,’ he said. ‘That was there (Cardiff). So, I do believe this will be a great fixture both for supporters and neutrals.’
All thoughts of entertaining the public aside, what Scotland really want out of Saturday is to scratch that 16-year itch, repeat the absolute mauling administered to the Welsh at Murrayfield last year — and make the kind of winning start needed to maintain even the pretence of a title challenge.
Townsend’s reputation for attacking rugby notwithstanding, the Scots will head to Wales aware that the Six Nations requires a completely rounded game.
Twice, in discussing individual selections yesterday, the head coach — leading his country into a Championship for the first time — picked out defence as the key factor in his decision making.
Newcastle’s Chris Harris, given his chance at outside centre because of injuries, was praised for finding his ‘defensive groove’, while Edinburgh No 8 Cornell du Preez is expected to stop the Welsh back row from making the hard yards.
‘Defence is really important whoever you’re playing against — and we’ve got to make sure that, right throughout the team, we have that as our No 1 priority,’ said Townsend.
‘So, we look at players and how well they’re defending and how they combine with other players to make sure we’re really solid.
‘Wales pass the ball more than they’ve ever done before — and they were passing the ball more than any other team in world rugby in November.
‘They’re still very direct, though. So they will go through the first couple of phases being direct, then look to pass the ball.
‘It’s a challenge for our defence but, whatever Wales are going to come with, we’ve got to be strong.
‘The best ball you can play off is forcing turnovers. If the opposition are going to play more, that means more opportunities for us to get turnovers.’
That almost sounds like throwing down the gauntlet to Warren Gatland, whose packing of his team with Scarlets players is seen by some as proof he wants to play a more expansive style.
Go ahead, says Townsend. And see how we punish you.
As for a more obvious tactic for the Welsh, targeting a scrum weakened by absences, Townsend is bullish about the men he’s picked. Including, for the first time since the 2015 World Cup, Jon Welsh. ‘Gordon Reid’s been an excellent player for Scotland — and we were disappointed that he picked up an injury before the November Tests,’ said Townsend.
‘He had a great game against Dan Cole in Leicester a few weeks ago. The feedback from London Irish is that his scrummaging in training games has been brilliant.
‘He had to do something to get ahead of Jamie Bhatti, who was brilliant for us in November and has been consistently playing well for Glasgow in some big games.
‘So, we believe we’re really strong on the loosehead.
‘On the tighthead, you’ve got Jon Welsh, who’s played regularly in the Premiership the last two years. At hooker, we’ve got one of the best hookers in Europe just now in Stuart McInally. We know it’s a strong area of the Welsh game as well, having the Scarlets front-row, so it should be a great battle.’
Sale Sharks winger Byron McGuigan, who scored two tries and was man-of-the-match when handed a late start in the autumn destruction of Australia, retains his place despite stiff competition.
Asked what his ambitions were, the Namibian-born flyer, whose Scottish mother ensured he grew up watching the Six Nations and supporting the boys in blue, said: ‘It’s about creating history.’
Should Scotland do that in a style that would have had dear old Bill purring with delight, or simply by beating the Welsh at their own Warrenball game, it will be worth celebrating. Without any regrets.