WE’RE CLUELESS
Skipper McInally is left struggling for answers to Ireland debacle ROB ROBERTSON
SCOTLAND skipper Stuart McInally admits he and his team-mates still have no answers as to why their Rugby World Cup opener against Ireland went so horribly wrong.
Gregor Townsend’s side were humbled 27-3 in Yokohama on Sunday and injury was added to insult yesterday with the news that flanker Hamish Watson’s tournament is over, while scrum-half Ali Price boarded the train to Kobe, the venue for the Scots’ next match, on crutches.
Samoa, who take on Russia today in their Pool A opener, are up next on Monday and McInally believes his side will have resolved their issues —
and there are many to consider — by then. Of primary concern will be the concession of tries early in matches. This year alone, Scotland have conceded a score in the first 15 minutes on nine separate occasions. ‘I don’t have the answer for you today why we don’t start well — and how we are going to start better,’ said McInally. ‘We are aware we are starting games poorly. It is being addressed to make sure we are the ones applying pressure. ‘If you start a game well, it is a massive boost for you. They (Ireland) started well and they were always in the ascendancy. ‘But we are addressing it and we will have a plan in place going into the rest of these games to make sure we start better. At the moment, it is tough.’ Watson was yesterday replaced in the squad by Magnus Bradbury, who had originally travelled to Japan as cover for Jamie Ritchie, while Price emerged as another injury concern. ‘Ali is going through (an) assessment,’ said Scotland assistant head coach Danny Wilson. ‘At the moment, it seems a minor issue around the foot and ankle area, but we will have to wait and see when the full assessment has been done.’ Watson was taken off by stretcher after suffering a serious knee injury against the Irish and it was confirmed yesterday that the 27-year-old will play no further part in the competition. ‘It is obviously a major blow losing Hamish from the squad,’ said Wilson. ‘But I’m pretty confident that Magnus can come in and bring a ball-carrying presence that we maybe didn’t have against Ireland.’