THIS WILL BE TEST OF MENTAL TOUGHNESS
HOW do Scotland replicate the form they display at Murrayfield when they’re playing away? That is the question every Scottish rugby fan is asking right now.
I’m sure Gregor Townsend and John Barclay have been asking the team the same thing all week in the build-up to today’s game in Dublin.
It’s mystifying how Scotland can go from the abject performance we witnessed in Cardiff on February 3 to that first half against England two weeks ago at Murrayfield.
What had changed? The players didn’t get quicker or stronger in the intervening three weeks.
Barclay and Hamish Watson didn’t understand the laws of the game better, allowing them to boss the breakdown more.
Huw Jones didn’t change into Superman just because he had the No 13 shirt on his back rather than 12.
It’s not a physical thing, so it must be a mental thing.
And it’s not just a problem for Scotland because sport in general shows it’s easier to win at home than away.
Psychologists around the world ask: ‘Why?’ Irrespective of what the sport is, the dimensions of the pitch will be pretty much the same; the laws of the game are the same and how you play the game won’t change except for some minor tactical nuances.
It must come down to the subconscious mind being more comfortable in home surroundings.
It’s maybe due to the crowd, maybe due to the players being happier when they’re in a familiar changing room, or staying in a hotel they are used to and eating the food they would normally have when preparing for a game.
All these little things count; they shouldn’t but they do and this is something Scotland need to try to address today.
On current form, Scotland should have no worries playing Ireland.
They are full of confidence having outplayed England for most of the last match to secure a comfortable win against the second best team in the world. The belief should be very high.
The trouble is, belief is formed by the references and experiences of the recent past and, although the memory of Murrayfield two weeks ago is a good one, Scotland’s last two away games in the Six Nations have been an entirely different story We shipped 34 points in the first game in Cardiff and a horrible 61 points last season at Twickenham. Almost 100 points conceded in our previous two Six Nations trips. How is the belief now?
Test-match rugby is just that, it’s a ‘test’. Not just a test physically as much as a test mentally and this will have been a huge part of the preparations this week.
When playing away from home, the aim for every team is to silence the crowd and not let them inspire the hosts.
The only way to do this is to start well, something Scotland didn’t do at Cardiff and Twickenham.
They did start the Murrayfield game well against England, creating a momentum that was difficult for Eddie Jones’ side to stop. They need to replicate this today in Dublin.
Scotland will need to be accurate and precise. They will need to protect the ball when they have it but still play with the tempo that brings out the best in this team.
Ireland are a tougher prospect than England because of the style of play they adopt.
They have a very strong pack and the best half-backs in the world for dictating exactly how they need to play at the right time.
They can squeeze the life out of the opposition and play a very limited game plan which will take a huge physical effort to stop.
Leinster did exactly this to Glasgow Warriors in the Champions Cup match at Scotstoun earlier in the season.
They just battered away at Glasgow, giving them no respite, which eventually took its toll and they ran out easy winners.
So it is a real contrast in styles today; the very structured Ireland versus the more fluid and creative Scotland.
There are a number of factors that can influence this; the weather, the referee, the atmosphere. Some of which are within the Scots’ gift to control, some not.
Scotland have proved that they can cut it against the best in a physical sense, but can they get the mental side of things right today and prove they are not just a home ground team?