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'There are nine guys who are not going to travel to Japan. You need to scrap and fight for everything'

By Online Editors
Finn Russell and Ali Price of Scotland (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Ali Price says Scotland’s crushing loss to France in Nice is a World Cup wake-up call.

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Gregor Townsend’s team depart for Japan in less than a month but they looked badly out of shape as they kicked off their warm-up schedule with a 32-3 defeat to Les Bleus.

Scotland conceded within the first 90 seconds and were breached four more times at the Allianz Riviera as they were overpowered by a French outfit who looked sharper and fitter.

By full-time, the Scots trudged off knowing that if they repeat their display in the Far East they will struggle to get out of a group containing Ireland, Russia, Samoa and the hosts.

But scrum-half Price hopes the shock display will jolt a reaction from Townsend’s men ahead of welcoming France to Murrayfield for next Saturday’s return clash.

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“Everyone is pretty low,” admitted the Glasgow half-back after the match.

“We were the first 23 guys to get a shot at what we’ve been doing for the last two months and it was disappointing. It’s a pretty big wake-up call.

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“If we can take anything from it it’s that it’s the first game. Things were never going to be perfect. We came here to win and we were way off.

“We’ve come back from games like this before and we’re at home next week in front of our own fans.

“We get another shot at France and then we roll into two Georgia games and try and gather some momentum.

“It’s a wake-up call that we’re not just going to roll into this World Cup and get us far as we want. We’ve got to want it and other teams have been working just as hard as us. There’s lots to look at.”

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Townsend will name his final 31-man squad on September 3 in between the Scots’ final two warm-up Tests against Georgia.

Price challenged his team-mates to prove how much they want a seat on the plane.

“When you’re out on the pitch and you’re tired and you have these decisions to make, you have to question how much you want it,” he said.

“Whether you are willing to work to the end of the line to give us a bit more width, whether you’re willing to get off the line, willing to put your shoulder in – all these questions you have to ask yourself.

“There are nine guys who are not going to travel to Japan. If that was your one opportunity that was your one opportunity and you have to make of it what you can.

“Whoever gets the chance next week now to right some wrongs, I’m sure we’ll see a massive reaction.

“I don’t think you can use the fact we’ve had a hard camp so far as an excuse. I’m not speaking on behalf of everyone here, I’m saying in general you have to realise who you are representing and how much do you want this.

“How much do you want to represent your country at a World Cup? Not many people get to do it and I feel like when your backs are against the wall a bit it’s hard to remember that.

“You need to scrap and fight for everything. Defence is going to win the World Cup, not attack. The teams that defends the best and is clinical when they have the ball, I firmly believe they will win it.

“Defence is a mindset more than anything, you need to want to hit someone, want to put your body in front of someone. We just lacked that a bit.”

– Press Association

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Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 8 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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