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AB Zondagh on Scotland: 'A lot's been said'
Assistant coach AB Zondagh insists Scotland must banish any lingering negativity from their defeat in Wales and focus fully on getting their Guinness Six Nations campaign back on track against France at BT Murrayfield this weekend.
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The Scots – who beat England in the first match – had the wind taken out of their sails when they lost 20-17 at the Principality Stadium on February 12.
Zondagh believes the players are relishing the chance to make amends for the Cardiff disappointment when the in-form French visit Edinburgh this Saturday.
“A lot’s been said, it was a disappointing result for us,” said Zondagh of the Welsh defeat. “We went down there really believing that we could win.
“Again, the margins were really fine. We had a good hard look at ourselves, we’ve learned from that and moved on. We’re pushing on to the France game now and focusing all our energies into that.
“The boys are working really hard to get into good positions and create opportunities. There are fine margins, with the ball going to hand, a try being scored or a ball being turned over.
“The boys worked hard in the Wales game but some things just didn’t go our way. We know we will improve going into this France game.”
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Zondagh is expecting a formidable challenge from France, who are the only side to win both matches so far.
“France are a very good team – they’ve beaten New Zealand, Ireland and Italy,” he said. “They could be considered the best team (in the tournament) at the moment, so it’s going to be a tough challenge.
“We’re going to have to pitch up and concentrate for 80 minutes, but we’re preparing to face up to the challenge.”
Scotland beat France in Paris behind closed doors last year and have won each of the last three Six Nations meetings between the teams at Murrayfield.
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“I don’t think we can read too much into the past, to be fair,” said Zondagh. “France have evolved as a team and we’ve changed ourselves as a team.
“It’s a new task in hand and it’s going to be a different game. We just have to be prepared for the challenge.”
Comments on RugbyPass
One that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
3 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
114 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
1 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
3 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
3 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
114 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
3 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
114 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
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