The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Weir confident ‘tweaks’ will get Scots on track
Scotland’s defeat to France isn’t a “reality check” and only a few tweaks will set them off on another winning run, believes Duncan Weir.
The stand-off kicked all five from five penalties for all Scotland’s points in the 22-15 defeat to the French, who look certain to contest the Autumn Nations Cup final against England while Scotland are likely set for a second trip of the year to Dublin for the third-fourth play-off.
But, although Scotland missed out on a potential record-equalling sixth successive win, We i r thought it was a tale of small margins.
“I don’t think it was (a reality check),” he said.
“It was a one score defeat and the game could have swung either way.
“I think we did a lot of good things tonight. Our game management was really good at times and it is now just about picking up the little details to take into the finals weekend, it is just about ironing out the creases for the next game.”
Weir is enjoying his time back in the Scotland side due to the injuries of Finn Russell and Adam Hastings, and has been taking advice from the absent Russell.
“I’m hugely passionate about playing for Scotland so every opportunity I get to represent my country and play at Murrayfield is a huge thing for me,” he said.
“I love every minute of wearing the national team jersey.
“I’m good friends with Adam and F inn – competition only spurs you on to play your best rugby – and those guys have been really supportive of me.
“I’m regularly in contact with Finn, so it is great for me personally to have their backing.”
Edinburgh’s Jaco van der Walt has completed his quarantine after getting married in South Africa and is coming into the picture this week having passed his three-year residency period earlier this month.
“Jaco has done really well for Edinburgh,” said Weir.
“I know him well from my time there, so it will be great if he joins the squad and we can bounce off each other.”
Vice-captain Fr a s e r Brown is disappointed there is no game against Fiji next week – cancelled because of multiple Covid19 positives in the Islanders’ squad – but will take advantage of the extra time to prepare for the final weekend of the Autumn Nations Cup.
“We want to play Test rugby and I’m sure there would have been a few opportunities for guys who maybe haven’t featured up until now, and it would have been another great spectacle, because Fiji here is always a great game,” he said.
“But it gives us a long lead- up into the finals weekend against either England or Ireland, a little bit extra time to review and preview.”
Brown hopes that this will be the fi n a l international game at an empty Murrayfield, for what it means beyond the stadium.
“If we start getting fans back at Murrayfield then that means there is some level of normality in society at large,” he said.
“At the minute, it has been brilliant to get some Test rugby played but, obviously, the fans are a huge part of generating the atmosphere which pushes us on to go out and perform at our best.
“Having them back here, whether it is for the Six Nations or whenever it is, would be brilliant for us, and brilliant in the wider context.”