Hurt by hurricane Finn
SCOTLAND CAMP REELING FROM BITTER FALLOUT:
IN HINDSIGHT, Ali Price’s words appear not only prophetic — but downright rebellious. Expressing even tacit support for Finn Russell, a rabble-rousing rebel now in open revolt against Gregor Townsend and his entire Scotland coaching structure?
In the SRU big book of offences, that’s right up there with wearing an unbranded tracksuit. Or forgetting to append the sponsor’s name to any mention of Murrayfield.
Yet, speaking in a semi-sheltered corner of that sodden stadium late on Saturday night, Price — closer to Russell than anyone in this Scotland squad — sounded very much like he was pleading a case for his pal.
‘I’ve spoken to him every day,’ said Price, the Glasgow scrumhalf, adding: ‘It’s a tricky situation.
‘He loves Scotland, he loves playing for Scotland. And he supports the boys, he supports me and he supports the team.
‘You know, I’ve read a lot of stuff, as I’m sure everyone has. And there’s a lot in it...’
A lot in it. Brother, you said a mouthful. And you had to have known what was coming.
In yesterday’s sit-down with one of the Sunday papers, Russell actually named Price as a key conduit to the group during his absence.
The stand-off revealed: ‘The thing I said to Ali was: “Make sure the boys know it’s not anything to do with them. I’m not turning my back on my country or the boys, this is a personal thing between me and Gregor. I want to be with them. But just now it’s not really possible for me to be involved”.’
Price was in touch with his former half-back partner pretty much every single day leading up to Saturday night’s horror show against England.
It’s certainly highly unlikely that, during those heart-to-hearts, Russell didn’t mention his decision to go nuclear with a public attack on Townsend.
The No9 was almost certainly aware, then, that Storm Ciara wasn’t going to be the only whirlwind heading for Scotland over the weekend.
When they come to count the cost of Hurricane Finn, you can rest assured that the Scottish Rugby establishment will have sustained only minimal damage.
The chief executive will remain untouched. The stratified structures that Russell finds so restrictive, what one wag once called ‘the dead hand of the SRU’ reaching into every aspect of players’ lives, especially those on central contracts with Glasgow and Edinburgh, won’t be shaken.
Townsend? Quite possibly damaged beyond repair. Certainly sufficiently shaken to require close inspection before being asked to bear the weight of leadership beyond this year’s Six Nations.
We can be sure of only one thing. Russell’s message of support for the players will absolutely have been passed on by Price.
As for how they received the kind words from their part-time rugby messiah, occasionally naughty boy and all-round chaos merchant, well, it’s fair to say that not every member of the squad is quite so enamoured with his ‘principled’ stance.
Never mind the good wishes, how about coming back and helping us win a blooming game?
There’s so much in this whole story. Starting with the continuing rugby obsession — not just a Scottish thing — over when and where it’s acceptable to have the obligatory ‘few beers’.
More than a few international footballers will have picked up details of the last straw in the great Finn v Gregor fall-out, the debate over how much alcohol could be consumed at the start of a Six Nations as opposed to ‘celebrating’ post-Calcutta Cup, and laughed out loud.
How juvenile it must all seem to hardened pros of the round-ball game.
In the closed world of rugby, where some of the younger Scotland players have been raised from academy kids by a single controlling authority, certain squad members may also be confused by this ‘freedom’ concept being discussed by guys who are now based elsewhere.
Russell’s comparison of Townsend and predecessor Vern Cotter is clearly intended to be particularly wounding, picking at a scab — Cotter’s early release in order to make way for the Next
Big Thing — that has never really healed.
And the No10 gladly agreeing to visit a psychologist because the coaching staff think he’s harbouring some deeply-hidden problem? Pick the bones out of that one.
At the root of it all, clearly, is the fact that Russell’s eyes have been opened to a different way of doing things by a more liberal sort of existence in the French capital with Racing 92.
As the old song goes, How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down On The Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree)?
A relationship doesn’t break down on one side. Clearly, there’s plenty of blame to be spread all round.
Not least among the highly-paid SRU employees who might justifiably have been expected to mediate in a spat between the head coach and the best Scottish player we’ve seen for a very, very long time.
Because, as a team still most notable for the things they cannot do, a side clearly lacking in the art of winning close contests, Scotland are in no position to start wasting precious resources.
In the wake of back-to-back defeats to commence another already-miserable Six Nations, there is no denying that they need something — anything — to lift spirits and inspire some swagger ahead of a must-win trip to Rome on February 22.
If players and coaches are going to persist in talking up their ability to lose by the finest of margins, we’re entitled to ask about the absence of a player capable of bringing that extra one per cent — on a bad day — to any game.
No disrespect to Adam Hastings. The fact that he ended Saturday’s game with the No 10 literally hanging off his back is no reflection on how manfully he coped with horrendous conditions.
When the team are camped inside the opposition 22 and defenders are lining up to make tackle after bruising tackle, though, is anyone seriously arguing that Russell wouldn’t make a difference?
Price, asked outright what kind of lift a Russell return — now an impossibility — might give to a team nursing another sore loss, said: ‘You know, you’ve probably had this answer a few times. We’re not just a one-man team, you know?
‘Adam has come in and, considering the circumstances and considering what has been publicised everywhere, I think he’s done a really good job.
‘It’s like you’re saying about
“I have spoken to Finn every day. It’s a very tricky situation”
Hoggy (Stuart Hogg) holding his hands up (for his mistake). It’s not just one guy.
‘Does Finn come in and add depth? Of course he does. He’s a world-class No 10.
‘Him and Adam would shoot out for the shirt, right? Competition would be better in training.
‘But in terms of do we know what we’re missing, would results have been different... what can you say to that? We’ll never know.’
Except we do know. Because, honestly, it never felt like Scotland were winning against England.
If you would have given our boys a scrum-five underneath the English posts, we wouldn’t have scored a try.
Once the visitors got their power game going and started cutting out mistakes, there was an inevitability about them winning. And that’s pretty much all anyone will remember from an entirely forgetful contest.
The red zone struggles cannot be allowed to continue in Rome, that’s for sure.
As for how to explain why the Scots continue to struggle within sight of the try line, Price admitted: ‘That’s a good question.
‘We talk about trying to have energy in the 22. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re frantic and running at a million miles an hour to get the ball to one-off runners.
‘We’re all in this together, aren’t we? We’ll take what comes our way. From the public and whoever we’ve got to stick together as a group.
‘We’ve played Ireland, who beat Wales comfortably. Then we played England, who were in the World Cup final a couple of months ago.
‘And we could have won both of them. We were right in the game.
We know that we’re not far away.
‘There’s a new feel about the squad in terms of some boys retiring — and we’re trying to bring a new energy to the squad.
‘It’s there. We’re enjoying our training and enjoying going out there and putting it in with each other.
‘We just need to flip these results around. Of course, it’s easier said than done. These good teams do that. It’s not one guy’s fault that we’ve lost.
‘One hundred per cent, Italy is a must-win. Then we get France at home, another opportunity to get in front of our fans.
‘If we’re two for two, we then go to Cardiff with a bit of momentum behind us. That’s the goal.’
You’ve got to have a dream, right? Three wins are still on the cards. Together As One. Well, perhaps not entirely.