Georgian anthem balls-up can't mask the inexorable rise of Scotland's new rapier
As World Cup send-offs go, this was sound enough; a comprehensive Scotland victory over a tricky opponent, some wonderful tries to have a Murrayfield crowd of over 50,000 purring and, pending further investigation, no major casualties.
This was never likely to be banana-skin fixture – and in fact, the biggest embarrassment did not befall the Scottish players but their administrators, who managed to blare out the wrong Georgian anthem during the pre-match fanfare.
Apparently, the tune played dates back to the Soviet era. This, naturally, drew much silent seethe from the tracksuited behemoths who had a camera thrust in their faces while what was once an ode to Georgia-born Josef Stalin pealed around the bowl. They were a marked improvement on last weekend’s limp display in Tbilisi, but they couldn’t exact much in the way of revenge for the melodic faux pas on their hosts.
There was no sense in Gregor Townsend risking most of his heaviest artillery – Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell, Stuart McInally, Hamish Watson, John Barclay, Greig Laidlaw and Sean Maitland had all seen enough action over the summer and the risk of losing any to major damage against this hulking foe far outweighed the merits of having them on the field. Russell in particular must now be handled with all the delicacy of a uranium nuclear rod, given how desperately handicapped Scotland would be without their majestic fly-half.
Townsend will head to Japan a little better informed about the cattle he is taking with him and the kind of form they are delivering after Friday night’s 36-9 triumph. He got a live look at some crucial combinations, a few of his younger troops made their cases to start the seismic pool opener with Ireland in a big way.
Scott Cummings, the pick of the home performers, was a thunderous presence around the field, as he was during Glasgow’s Pro14 run-in.
He is only 22 and this was only his second international start, but his mobility, handling, explosiveness and intelligent running lines set him apart from any of his competitors in the second-row. From four bullocking charges, Cummings made 30m and was Scotland’s second-top tackler with eight. He may be callow, but the young lock is in stupendous form. Whether Townsend will start him in Yokohama or bring his significant impact to bear from the bench is fiendishly hard to predict, but he must be involved in some capacity.
Scotland’s pack is short on rampaging colossuses. There is no monster blind-side or snarling number eight who can shove the ball up his jumper and gobble up yards as a Billy Vunipola or Louis Picamoles would. Blade Thomson is a yard-maker in a different way, combining pace and footwork with athleticism and power. He also has a deft off-loading game, which is important to the Scottish strategy. The big New Zealander looks to have played his way into the number eight jersey, assuming the hamstring injury that forced his precautionary withdrawal in the dying minutes is not too severe.
If Cummings’ task in forging a path to the engine room is arduous, the challenge thrown down to Darcy Graham in splintering the Maitland-Hogg-Tommy Seymour back-three axis is positively monumental. How the little Borderer is giving it an almighty crack. His sensational finish up the left flank took his international haul to five tries in seven caps and he had a hand in three other scores. His effervescence and top-end speed are devastating commodities, and for a small bloke, he plays seriously big in the tackle and when over ball.
MOTM | Having displayed some great skill and try-scoring finesse in front of an appreciative audience, Darcy Graham is voted Man of the Match! 👏 pic.twitter.com/gd33sn0o7J
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) September 6, 2019
Barring injury, Graham will be a Scotland centurion and is probably a decent bet to break the national try-scoring record (which stands at 24, if you’re interested). He is undoubtedly Townsend’s form wing, yet unseating the entrenched duo may well be beyond him for that first colossal pool showdown.
The defensive nous and aerial prowess of Maitland and Seymour are precious, particularly against a team who are likely to suffocate, turn and smother Scotland with their kicking game. Those two have 94 caps and 32 tries between them. It seems unbelievably cruel to leave Graham – faster and deadlier than both – out of the starting XV, but that experience will probably win the day come selection. Regardless, Graham will be needed amply in Japan, and his time as top dog will soon dawn.
Inside the miniature rapier, Adam Hastings’ performance was laced with clever flourishes and maddening bungles. He still struggles for consistency, but he is never afraid to back himself. Unless Russell goes down, he will almost certainly be asked only to start against meek Russia.
It was heartening to see Sam Johnson and Duncan Taylor begin to motor in their first hit-out as the likely premier centre pairing. Each, especially Taylor, has overcome truly heinous luck with injuries these past few years. Each attacked and defended well and mercifully came through unscathed, Taylor in his first Test at Murrayfield and first at outside centre in over three years.
Johnson and Taylor appeal to Townsend because of their keen intelligence with and without the ball. Both carve beautiful running angles with dynamic strides and soft hands. Both have excellent positional awareness and love to tackle. They give the coach his best blend of potency in attack and brutality in defence. Keeping the two of them, as direct and abrasive and prone to damage as they are, off the treatment table? That will be another matter.
This was a night where the spectre of injury hung almost as large and menacing over Murrayfield as the unthinkable prospect of defeat. The showpiece is so close now that any significant physical damage would leave a player scant opportunity to get back in time to make a meaningful contribution to the campaign. Just ask Sam Skinner.
Ouch! Gregor Townsend could have paid a heavy price for Scotland's latest win over Georgia https://t.co/05c2OtWXEt
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 6, 2019
By and large, Scotland got through a bruising physical encounter without major losses. Five players went off injured, but the hope is that none of them are serious enough to put tournament participation in jeopardy. Jonny Gray felt a niggle in the hamstring that has plagued him this summer and was removed at half-time chiefly as a precaution. Ditto Thomson in the final ten minutes. The brains of Blair Kinghorn and Ben Toolis will require further investigation after both suffered heavy blows to the head. The gravest concern, though, is over Jamie Ritchie, who was taken to hospital so that a smack to the face could be properly assessed.
There were gnawing issues for Townsend on the field too. Scotland kept Georgia try-less but they could have made life a whole lot easier for themselves with better discipline and better accuracy. The first half was an exercise in sloppiness, two line-outs bungled, seven penalties conceded – several of them dense – a spree of handling errors and only a 10-9 lead to show for their dominance. Only in the final eleven minutes did they score the three tries that burnished the scoreline.
Mistakes are to be expected in a team showing so many changes, and a host of players who have not seen much front-line action since May. But the error count and the glut of silly infringements was not acceptable. Deliver that kind of stuff in Japan, and graver consequences than anything the Georgians could muster will await.
Townsend knows that, and he knows too that his team will be slicker with their go-to men restored to the line-up and another fortnight’s fine-tuning under their belts. They fly to Japan on Monday. Ireland and their departing hero Joe Schmidt lie in wait thirteen days later. Scotland will need to be in perfect harmony by then.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt 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.
26 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….
26 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….
84 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!
4 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?
45 Go to comments