Townsend: Beating Boks would be greatest result as Scotland coach
● It would eclipse Calcutta Cup triumph claims coach as he makes six changes
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend believes a victory over the resurgent Springboks at BT Murrayfield on Saturday would be the high point of his 16 months in the job.
There have been a number of notable wins since Townsend took over from Vern Cotter last June, with the thrilling Calcutta Cup triumph over England in February top of the list.
Additionally, there have been home and away successes over Australia, a home win over France and record win in Argentina. A rousing performance and narrow loss to the All Blacks could also be put in the highs column.
However, Townsend believes a win over the South Africans, given their current form, would be the best yet.
“Given what they have done recently, it would probably be our biggest win in the last couple of years,” said the coach.
“Obviously England stands out as such a memorable win. The fact they had won so many games in succession and that trophy we play for makes it even more special.
“But I just feel that South Africa are in the top two or three teams in the world with the way they play against the best teams in the world.
“Going to New Zealand and beating them, almost beating them a second time, showing what they were capable of last week against France as they came from behind to get a great win – that all shows they are going to be a tough team to beat.”
Townsend has made six personnel changes to the team that started the 54-17 win over Fiji, claiming that this weekend’s XV was “80 per cent” of how he thought it would be when he was mapping out the four-match series.
Glasgow centre Huw Jones is recalled at outside centre and gets a chance to put right a below-par showing in Cardiff at the start of the month against the country where he blossomed as a professional player with Western Province and Stormers.
That is the only change in the back division, but the pack has been reshuffled in preparation for what is likely to be a brutal contest with the most physical set of forwards in the game.
Stuart Mcinally returns at
GREGOR TOWNSEND
hooker, while Gordon Reid comes in at loosehead ahead of Allan Dell. It’s all change at lock, with Ben Toolis and Jonny Gray coming in and last week’s impressive debutant Sam Skinner dropping back to blindside flanker. Hamish Watson returns at openside.
There is no place in the 23 for Newcastle flanker Gary Graham, who joined the Scotland squad this week having previously been selected for England squads – without being capped – at the start of the year.
Townsend was clear when asked if Saturday presented the most physical challenge in Test rugby.
“Yes. It’s number one,” he said. “We get physical challenges in the Six Nations with
the likes of England and France and Ireland but any coach will tell you that the biggest physical challenge is South Africa. It always has been. They have evolved their game since Rassie [Erasmus] took over [as coach] but they’ve not gone away from the forward pack. They select the biggest and
strongest men they can find.”
Townsend expressed confidence that centre Jones can recover from his blip in Wales and return to the heights of previous sparkling performances in a Scotland jersey.
“It’s a great game for him,” said the coach. “He played a few seasons in South Africa
and he’ll know a few of their players. He is fresh. He trained last week and was decisive in training. When he played well last year a lot of that was to do with how he trained. He has been sharp and can’t wait to get on the ball.”
“Any coach will tell you that the biggest physical challenge is South Africa. It always has been”
It may have been a brief cameo in a long and far-travelled playing career but the few months Gregor Townsend spent in South Africa 14 years ago made a lasting impression, to the point where he makes the case that it is the most passionate rugby country in the world, surpassing even New Zealand.
Townsend had a Super Rugby stint with Natal Sharks in 2004 and, as he prepares to lead his nation against the Springboks in the biggest Test of this November series, reflected with happiness on that time.
“I loved the experience,” he said. “They were the friendliest people that I’ve ever met when I played in rugby.
“The amount of times you’re invited round for braiis, for barbecues… so respectful, so humble. It was not the impression I got when I played against them before I joined them! But they are really, really friendly people.
“Rugby is huge in South Africa. I thought it felt more passionate and even bigger than in New Zealand. People are recognising you as soon as you’re walking around the streets. The crowds we were getting… 40,000 for games at King’s Park in Durban. So they are so keen on their rugby and the players are so passionate about playing for the Springboks.”
It may have been a short-term stay, but Townsend has brought some of what he learned from that time into his thought processes this week.
“What I learned is when things aren’t going well for a South African team they go back to their strengths,” said Townsend.
“I remember games when [2007 World Cup-winning Springbok skipper] John Smit was my captain at the Sharks and things weren’t working out well and I was saying ‘maybe we should move the ball here’, and he would say ‘no, no Gregor, we are going to run even harder into this area’.
“So that’s a massive part of their game. They will believe they will be able to out-muscle any team they play against and that was how they got back in the game against France at the weekend [a last-gasp 29-26 win in Paris]. Francois Louw [the Bath back-rower] made a huge impact defensively, the forwards started to maul stronger and stronger as the game went on and they ended up getting the win.”
As national coach, Townsend is naturally keen to keep as many
top players in Scotland as possible so that they can be managed and closely monitored but, given his own globe-trotting as a player, he is understanding of the fact that some big fish are going to have to move on from the pond.
As well as Natal, Townsend played for clubs in France and England and, as a youngster, had a couple of stints with Sydney club Warringah. In the week that star full-back Stuart Hogg’s move to Exeter Chiefs was confirmed, the Scotland coach said he hoped it would be a positive new challenge for the 26-year-old.
“Let’s hope so. We have known about it a few weeks and it’s great his future has been sorted,” said Townsend.
“As much as we would have liked him to stay in Scotland, the best outcome is that he has at least made a decision now. He’s going to a very good club. We have a lot of respect and admiration for what Exeter have done. They play excellent rugby and have a fantastic culture.
“It’s important now that I now build a good relationship with [director of rugby] Rob [Baxter], [head coach] Ali [Hepher] and the other coaches down there, and we have Stuart’s goals in mind of playing as well as he can for Exeter but also for Scotland.”
Townsend said he was looking forward to seeing Sam Skinner play again following his man-ofthe-match exploits last weekend, this time a row back at blindside flanker, a position he moved to during the Fiji game.
“It was an option that grew in our minds when [Scarlets flanker] Blade Thomson picked up his injury, and on the back of Magnus Bradbury, Dave Denton and a couple of other guys picking up knocks too.
“Jamie Ritchie played really well at six against Wales then even better at seven against Fiji. Giving him a third game on the bounce was something in our minds but seeing Sam perform so well at the weekend and knowing that he’s a very strong set-piece forward gave him the edge this week.”
Townsend was asked by a South African journalist if the group of players sometimes referred to as “Jockboks” were particularly looking forward to this weekend. While keen to emphasise their commitment to Scotland, he conceded that Saturday’s match did carry an extra resonance.
“They’re hugely motivated,” he said. “I know Alan Dell was disappointed not to be starting, but he’s got a big role to play in the game. WP Nel was delighted to be able to start.
“These are players who have made Scotland their home and feel a lot of pride playing for Scotland. I know Byron Mcguigan was disappointed to miss out on the 23 as well and he’s another who grew up in South Africa.
“It’s a huge game for them, but it’s a massive game for us. This was probably going to be our biggest Test and we know that and we know Argentina will be a huge test next week, but the way south africa are playing they are up there with the best in the world right now.”
It is a test, however, that townsend said he was fully confident his players will rise to in a stadium where they have lost just once, to New Zealand, in the past two years.
“We believe we can win. We come together at the beginning of the week to map out a strategy to win, to put a team together that we believe can best put us in that position,” said Townsend.
“This is our job as coaches and players, to get a win for our country. We’re helped by the fact that the BT Murrayfield crowd have given us such a boost over the last couple of seasons.”