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'Finn is a great player but I have full belief in everyone in the team'
Blair Kinghorn insists Scotland have the tools to unpick England on Saturday.
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The key to opening up the Auld Enemy’s defence has been held by Finn Russell in recent times but the stand-off will be absent again at Murrayfield this weekend.
The Racing 92 playmaker produced rugby’s moment of 2018 with his daring long pass to Huw Jones in the build-up to a Sean Maitland’s score as Eddie Jones’ men were stunned in Edinburgh.
Russell was the architect again last year at Twickenham as the Scots produced a brilliant comeback from 31-0 down to claim a draw that saw them retain the Calcutta Cup.
However, he will be back in France when Kinghorn and the rest of Gregor Townsend’s team run out to face the Red Rose line-up on Saturday after being disciplined for a late-night drinking session ahead of last week’s Guinness Six Nations opener with Ireland.
Continue reading below…
WATCH: Stuart Hogg and Gregor Townsend spoke to the media following Scotland’s 19-12 loss to Ireland in Dublin.
The Scots went down 19-12 in Dublin after wasting a string of golden opportunities – including skipper Stuart Hogg’s horror try-line fumble.
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But Edinburgh full-back Kinghorn is confident Scotland have the firepower required to blow England’s doors open.
He said: “Finn is a great player but I have full belief in everyone in the team.
“Adam Hastings played really well on Saturday against Ireland. And it is great to see boys like Huw Jones coming back into some form. He’s a devastating player.
“I fully believe we have all the creativity we need. The review after the Ireland game was good. We did some really positive things on Saturday but we know games like that we need to win.
The @johnbarc86 column:
The loathed 'Valiant Losers' tag ?
The welcome ill-feeling betwixt England/Scotland ?
What he texted Hogg after THAT drop ?#SixNations #SCOvENG https://t.co/736yr3fW0X— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 5, 2020
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“Losing is not fun at all. We had chances to win but we gave away too many penalties and turnover ball at crucial points.
“It’s something we’ve looked pretty hard at but it’s never nice to lose, especially when we had not won over there for 10 years, so it was a big opportunity.
“Every time you come back from a loss you come in, look at the footage and try to bounce onto the next game – and there is no better one than England at home.
“Everyone is looking to get stuck in. We were frustrated after the game but it’s one of those things.
Scotland had a glut of golden field position and must-score moments against Ireland, but couldn’t make any of them count. Yet @JLyall93 has picked out plenty of positives for Gregor Townsend's side.https://t.co/okBZIjk7Tq
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 3, 2020
“It’s a quick turnaround so we’ve only got time to look at the things we can improve and then move on.
“It would mean everything to win on Saturday. It’s a massive game at home and we want to retain the Calcutta Cup and the points for the table.”
Scotland were glad to leave 2019 behind after a disappointing championship campaign which produced just one win was followed up by a pool-stage exit at the World Cup.
The defeat to Andy Farrell’s team last week was not the way they were hoping to start the new year but Kinghorn hopes to kick-start the Scots’ season this weekend.
“We’ve not had the results we’ve wanted in the last year or so,” he confessed. “We all know that and have all held our hands up to that. But we’re working hard to fix it.
“Even though we didn’t get the result last week, we showed some really positive things away to Ireland.
“So Saturday is a massive game for us. I fully belief we can get a result and that can kick-start a really successful year for us.
“Everyone in the team is really positive and we have full belief in ourselves that we can put in a winning performance.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments