Townsend’s team must conquer the mind game to claim crucial victory
SCOTLAND’S footballing links with Russia are relatively plentiful. They stretch back at least as far as Moscow Dynamo’s visit to Ibrox in 1945, take in the same team’s defeat by Rangers in the 1972 Cup Winners’ Cup final, and also include the clash-of-ideologies match at the 1982 World Cup (“Alcoholism Versus Communism”, as a Scotland supporter’s banner dubbed the meeting with the then USSR). And of course, Russia beat Steve Clarke’s side just last month at Hampden in the Euro qualifiers, while the rematch is on Thursday in Moscow.
When it comes to rugby, on the other hand, there are virtually no connections between the two countries. The national teams meet for the first time tomorrow in Japan and, although Edinburgh did play Siberian side Krasny Yar in the 201718 Challenge Cup, winning 73-14 away and 78-0 at home, those two games will have no relevance to this crucial World Cup pool match.
In rugby terms, Russia, population 145 million, is a minnow, while Scotland just about remains one of the game’s big fish. So, how does a side that is the overwhelming favourite take on opponents who should really present little or no trouble?
First of all, by analysing their previous games. Russia have so far lost 30-10 to Japan, 34-9 to Samoa and 35-0 to Ireland, and there is nothing about those performances that should trouble Gregor Townsend.
More importantly, Scotland need to be in the right frame of mind going into the game, and that means striking the correct balance between self-confidence and caution. Townsend and his assistant coaches must decide how gung-ho Scotland will be from the start: do they try to blitz Russia with an early lead that will convince their opponents there is no hope of an upset? Or do they play to a more measured tempo designed to steadily impose a stranglehold on the contest?
Perhaps one pertinent example is to be found in the match back at the 1995 World Cup against the Ivory Coast, who were, like Russia, well out of their depth. Scotland looked nervous for the first quarter-hour and more but, once a lucky bounce gave Gavin Hastings the first try of the game, they settled down and won 89-0.
That was back in the last days of amateurism, when mismatches were more severe. The score against Russia tomorrow won’t get anywhere close. But the lesson is that some of the players felt they had been sent into that game with too cautious a mindset, and only once they felt more relaxed were they able to really impose themselves.
Or, as tighthead prop Peter Wright put it later that same year: “The management were telling us we had to respect the Ivory Coast. But I just thought, ‘Why should we respect them? The Ivory Coast are crap’.”
So, against Russia, you want a team who will concentrate on their own abilities, and the one Townsend has selected looks likely to do exactly that.
Full-back Blair Kinghorn, for one, must be itching to get out there and show what he can do in his first outing of the tournament. It will be no surprise if he scores a hat-trick.
Winger Darcy Graham and scrumhalf George Horne are the other backs who look sure to be too quickthinking and fast-moving.
Up front, hooker George Turner and lock Ben Toolis are determined to make their mark. Throw in the stabilising influence of senior leaders such as John Barclay and Pete Horne, and this should be a Scotland side that can secure the win with a minimum of fuss and claim the bonus point.
The four-day turnaround means Townsend will have to be prudent when it comes to using his bench, especially the forwards, who make up six out of the eight replacements.
Tighthead Simon Berghan looks like being back-up to Gordon Reid at loosehead, having had a brief try-out in the role in the first warm-up match against France. But, while all eight substitutes tend to get a run-out in internationals, with Fraser Brown in the back row as back-up to Turner, ideally squad captain Stuart McInally will not be used to ensure he is fresh for the far sterner test that awaits.
You want a team who will concentrate on their own abilities, and the one Townsend has selected looks likely to do exactly that