The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Scotland’s Fagerson raringtogo.
●There will be blood as Fagersons prepare for a Scots Rome resurgence
Scotland prop Zander Fagerson used to get a room of his own at the family home in Kirriemuir but at national team camp he now has to bunk up with younger brother Matt.
Back-row forward Matt is back in camp and straight into the matchday 23 for the Six Nations meeting with Italy in Rome tomorrow after missing the first two games with a cracked rib.
That came on the back of a three-game ban for his first career sending-off and also narrowly missing out on the Rugby World Cup means it’s been an odd sort of season for the 21-yearold.
“There was about six weeks during the World Cup when I had games for Glasgow and that was great fun,” said Matt.
“Then came the ban, then the injury and I was a bit frustrated at not being able to play.
“I couldn’t play against Sale away and all the boys did so well and, while you love seeing that, you’re kicking your heels because you just want to be out there.
“It’s been a bit stopstart, but it’s been really important to keep positive all the time and making sure you don’t dwindle off and put on weight. I was losing my mind a bit but coming back has been good.
“It was weird being off for that long in mid-season but I just sat down with the strength and conditioning boys and planned out what I needed to do and what I wanted to achieve.”
After a try-scoring return to action against Zebre, Matt added: “We targeted the Zebre game so that came out quite well.
“To get a run on Friday for 50 minutes and score a try – even just to get a rugby ball in my hands again and get a lot of contact in – that was good. Then I got a text from Gregor after the game telling me to report.”
The “unlucky” part is that he has to share with Zander, but he finds his first camp since the summer warm-ups for the World Cup to be a pretty positive place despite the two losses in the championship so far.
“My rib injury came just as the squad was getting announced,” he said.
“There’s a much better vibe in camp and everyone’s really positive.
“There might have been two losses but they were really close games and the boys played well.
“It’s not like anyone’s heads are down, everyone’s just focused on Italy and not looking back to what happened over the last two games.
“There’s been a few tweaks since the World Cup. We’ve a different sort of defensive system and it just seems like a breath of fresh air with Steve Tandy coming in.
“He speaks really well with the boys, always gives positive feedback around helping them out when they do something wrong and everyone has clearly bought into it.”
Scotland are confident heading into Rome, he stressed, believing they are on the cusp of a win to start forward momentum.
He said: “I think if you fear failure then you are waiting for it to happen, so I don’t think anyone is thinking ‘what if we lose?’
“It’s more that we’re going out to do a job and if we all get our roles right then that should be enough to get the result and show what we are all about.”
Meanwhile, centre Chris Harris is comfortable with the pressure ahead of the Rome clash – but knows they must deliver an 80-minute performance.
Harris has been brought in for Huw Jones in one of three changes to the starting line-up, one of them enforced by Jonny Gray’s hand injury.
The Gloucester midfielder is confident Scotland have the game plan to turn their pressure into points and is eager to get out there and prove it.
“There is pressure on Gregor, there is pressure on us,” the 29-year-old said.
“We have just got to deliver. We are fully capable, we have got the gameplan, it’s just about going out there and putting in that 80-minute performance.
“The build-up has been pretty positive. We have looked at Italy, we know what to expect from them and we know what’s expected from us.
“It’s about going out there with the same enthusiasm and energy and just deliver – finish the game rather than going well for 60 minutes.”
Harris, who has come off the bench in both matches, added: “We have been towards the try line quite a few times and never quite converted so there’s an element of looking at the detail of that and making sure we come away with points every time we enter their end zone.
“Honestly, I think we
have been playing some good rugby. We have made line breaks, we have been in positions to score. I think it’s discipline within our shape to come away with more points. We conceded quite a lot of penalties at the breakdown against Ireland. We have to make sure that doesn’t happen in Rome.”