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The forgotten man 'desperate' for a big performance for Scotland
John Dalziel insisted Hamish Watson still has plenty to offer Scotland even though he has been a peripheral figure at this World Cup so far.
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The 31-year-old back-rower toured with the British and Irish Lions just over two years ago but has recently lost his status as first-choice openside flanker for the national team to the burgeoning Rory Darge.
Watson did not make the match-day 23 for the World Cup matches against South Africa or Tonga, but the Edinburgh forward is widely expected to have some involvement in Saturday’s must-win match against Pool B minnows Romania in Lille.
“Hamish is one of our most experienced players,” assistant coach Dalziel said. “He’s a fantastic guy to have around the squad.
“There’s been a great fight between him and Darge across the last couple of campaigns for that seven jersey. Injuries (for both) have had a lot to do with it but this is the first time for a while we’ve had them both fit and they’re vying for it.
“Hamish couldn’t have trained any better than he has and we know exactly what he can do so if called upon I’m sure he’ll be desperate to deliver a big performance.”
Watson is one of five players in the squad yet to see any action in France, with Javan Sebastian, Luke Crosbie, Ben Healy and new addition Johnny Matthews the others.
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It is likely that the majority – or all – of them will get a chance to play some part against Romania on Saturday, as Scotland have a heavyweight encounter with Ireland in Paris the following week.
If the Scots are to qualify for the quarter-finals, they must get a bonus-point win this weekend and then defeat the Irish either with a bonus point or by denying their opponents a bonus.
Although the Romania game is widely deemed a formality for the Scots, Dalziel played down any notion that the coaches will go for what might be perceived as a significantly-weakened team when they announce their selection on Thursday.
“Injuries and incidents are part of the game,” he said when asked if preserving key men will be a factor in picking the side for Romania.
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“In terms of the limitations now, you can be millimetres or centimetres away from being best practice to getting yourself in a bit of trouble with injury or suspension but we can’t mollycoddle anybody.
“We’ve had to put out a strong team in each of our games so far and it will be exactly the same against Romania. It’s certainly not one where we’ll roll the dice and go to a weakened selection.
“To give ourselves the best opportunity in that last game (against Ireland), we’ve got to be squeaky clean and probably have our best performance of this tournament so far against Romania, so we’ll pick the strongest side available to do that.
“Everything we do now is looking at Romania, there’s nothing beyond that.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The fact that the press were largely to blame for his taking a break is nothing short of disgusting. He’s made a few mistakes but difficult to name a player of any substance who gives it a full go hasn’t also made mistakes? On behalf of a large number of Bokke fans, bring back Farrell !!!!!
1 Go to commentsPSTD is a fantastic flanker. He could benefit from a bit of self-promotion / flair and he is not quite the danger man that Ardie is. That said, he is my 1st pick to build a backrow around. His speed and hustle made up for Duane who got quite a bit slower at the 8.
2 Go to commentssurprised, disco lights haven't been banned by world rugby board
19 Go to commentsToo many changes. Too often. I’m tired of this WR administration. How do we vote these fockers out? Bill needs to go.
19 Go to commentsDu Toit, 2 time W.Cup winner yet rarely mentioned a “Great “…if one looks back on his stellar carrier perhaps someone will one day elevate him to “Richie” status…a quiet, polite yet devastating loose forward that knew action speaks louder than words..
2 Go to commentsI like the offside rule, but this won't affect my team because all their kicks gets chased and that putts everyone on side. Lekker manne!
19 Go to comments20 minute Red Card is untenable. If you don’t punish the whole team, coaches won’t be sufficently incentivised to pick players with, or coach better tackle technique.
1 Go to commentsI can only think of One time ever a team has opted for a scrum from a free kick… Why the law change I wonder
19 Go to commentsYeah, its not going to work. But we see you World Rugby.
19 Go to commentsLove the reaction after last 2 W.Cups re rule changes…maybe good for more for more of a “ league” type running game( which I personally don’t like) but seems Rassie is definitely in ther heads…
19 Go to commentsGreat. More unwanted changes. Because these always work out well.
19 Go to commentsI’m sure South Africa’s opponents will rejoice at World Rugby minimising one of the Boks’ most potent weapons, but you just know Rassie is cooking something up with free-kicks that no-one else has thought of. Let them play checkers. Rassie’s playing chess. 😂
19 Go to commentsAfter a fairly simple Pac4, the BFs will find out a lot about themselves in September when they face the rampaging RedRoses at Twickenham in front of a record crowd. After that they will face them again in Canada in WXV1. They also have France to contend with. Will be interesting to see what Australia have to offer with Jo Yapp at the helm.
1 Go to commentsSuper Rugby Pacific has been better as a spectacle due to the emphasis on speeding the game up and I’d look at taking things a step further. Instead of giving teams 90 seconds to take a conversion, let’s bring that down 60 seconds. You could also look at allowing 45 seconds for a penalty goal. Maybe teams could get 20 seconds instead of 30 to form a scrum before the ref then starts the engagement process. However, this year the most pleasing change is the added competitiveness in the Trans Tasman matches. What does frustrate me is how the rugby media in Australasia allow the the whole ‘‘rugby is boring’’/’’rugby yawnion’’ narrative to take hold from from vindictive league types, the chairman of the ARL commission and News Limited Australia. Stick up for the game and shift the narrative!
22 Go to commentsIt’s not new for nines to be the key playmaker. For the Boks it has been common, with Fourie du Preez and Joost vd Westhuizen being obvious examples. It's also not that recent for nines to be box kicking, covering high balls in the back field, and tackling in the defensive line. For example, Faf de Klerk has been doing all of that for years.
6 Go to commentsThe hell with this constant regurgitation of what this pretty boy is doing. For all I care he might as well be doing a Jamie Oliver cooking course. Rugby is not a progression toward the NFL, which, given its prominence in your reporting, you appear to regard as the ultimate contact sport. It has virtually nothing to do with rugby, and forever may that remain the case. I know that if I don’t like it I don’t have to read it, but I’m sick of seeing this dishwater-dull nonsense.
2 Go to commentsGuys Eben did not mean it in a ugly way as it’s just a feeling he had. We Safas rate the All Blacks and no Bok player wants to play NZ in a Knockout game
148 Go to commentsHe basically described who Aaron Smith also considers the GOAT 9….the one & only Fourie du Preez😎
6 Go to commentsI’m hoping that the Reds can win their last 4 games with a couple of try bonus points. The pessimist in me wouldn't be surprised if the Drua and the Tahs knock the Reds over. The Reds may end up ruing the fact they were distinctly 2nd best against the Force and just so clunky against Moana Pasifica. The Brumbies should win all their remaining games with some bonus points giving them at least a top 2 finish as the leading Kiwi sides will take points off each other. How the Brumbies handle the fact that they will be expected to beat the Crusaders will fascinate me. You’d probably have to go back to 2001 for the last time the Brumbies would go into a game against the Crusaders odds on to win.
8 Go to commentsFree to air is the key to fan expansion. I attended last weeks game at Suncorp (Reds v Blues) and the total cost is prohibitive to most people that wish to attend. Two tickets $130, parking (event day gouging) $75, road tolls $20, dinner beforehand $130, plus some petrol and a beer inside the stadium and a single game starts to cost $300-400. Who can afford that week in week out, I’d love to go more but could only afford this one game to see the Blues, I’d have loved to have seen more NZ teams here but I’d need to stop eating or sell a kidney.
22 Go to comments