Ex-skipper Ryan Wilson responds to Eddie O'Sullivan's claims that Scotland are 'deluded'

12:54pm, 10 December 2020

Former Scotland skipper Ryan Wilson has responded to claims that Scotland are ‘deluded’ and implode under pressure.

Former Ireland head coach Eddie O’Sullivan derided Scotland after their loss to Ireland in the Aviva Stadium, zeroing in on Stuart Hogg’s post-match interview in which he said the team on course for ‘something special’.

“We’ve seen all this before. They always talk themselves up, they always talk a great game. They have some deluded notion that they are better than they are,” said O’Sullivan. “I’m not being harsh. These guys haven’t won here in ten years, they’ve won three times against Ireland in nearly 20 years.

“It’s just deluded. They talk themselves up, they come in, and then they implode. We have seen this time and time again. He [Stuart Hogg] says ‘we are onto something special’?”

Wilson has responded, saying the Cork man had gone too far. “I think he’s been affected by the Covid pandemic. He’s feeling a little bit lonely and a little bit unloved. He’s like one of these guys on Twitter that needs a bit of love.

“He just wants to throw some crap out there, so we talk about him, and we’re feeding him at the moment.

“I’m not sure what he wants the Scottish camp to do? What are the comments he’s taking about? But if it is Gregor going out and saying ‘listen, we want to go over there and win’. What would he rather the coach do?

“He coached Ireland and then Biarritz at one point. When he was coaching a team and thought ‘this is going to be a tough one this week’ did he think to go ‘well, we’re going to struggle this week. We’re probably not going to win’. No, that’s not what you’re going to say.

“You’re going to talk your team up, that’s what you’re gonna do as a coach.

“After last eight games Scotland have played, I think they’ve won five of last games of the eight, and the other three, they were within seven points – before they played that Ireland game. Scotland are getting better and we are progressing quite well.”

"They have some deluded notion that they are better than they are." https://t.co/IXvKXdFDw2
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 6, 2020

“I think he’s gone overboard there. I think Scotland are going in the right direction.

“This is what people in the press need to do these days to try and get the next job.”

Co-host Simon Zebo defended O’Sullivan’s comments, saying: “You’ve been saying that for over a decade [Scotland are progressing]. There’s a little bit of arrogance there, and think what he means is ‘What have ye ever done like?’. You’ve never won anything and you’re battling now for fourth and fifth every year in the Six Nations. You’ve never done anything in Europe, no Scottish team [etc], but there’s this level of expectation.

“I wouldn’t go as far as him,” said Zebo. “I can resonate with one or two of the points he was making.”