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'If we win we'll be sitting at the top of the table... it's a really strange scenario'

By Online Editors
(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Hamish Watson admits it is a relief that the coronavirus will not put the brakes on Scotland as they look to maintain their Guinness Six Nations roll.

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While the Scots have been given the go ahead to finish off their championship with Saturday’s trip to Wales, the remainder of the tournament’s final round of fixtures have been postponed amid concerns over the outbreak.

Organisers are now considering a new date for England’s trip to Italy and the clash between France and Ireland in Paris – with the most likely plan set to delay the crowning of the Six Nations winner until October.

Defeat in the Scots’ opening two matches means it will take a series of remarkable results to put them in contention but if they can follow up recent victories over the Azzurri and Les Bleus when they run out in Cardiff, then flanker Watson and the rest of Gregor Townsend’s men will at least have the honour of sitting top of the table over the summer.

The Edinburgh flanker said: “It’s a really strange scenario – but it’s exciting for us as it means we can get our games played. If we win we’ll be sitting at the top of the table. It’s a massive opportunity for us.

“It’s obviously a serious situation with the coronavirus but we have just got to concentrate on the game. We can’t think about maybe it being called off or why the other games are. We’ve got a task in hand and we’ve just got to make sure we perform to the best of our ability so we can win that game. To the fans, just make sure you wash your hands!

“It’s definitely a relief that the game is going ahead because we are on a roll. I don’t know how the guys in the other teams are feeling but I imagine it must be pretty frustrating when you’ve been in camp for seven or eight weeks and then have games called off. It’s looking like those games will go ahead in October but we’re just relieved our game’s on and we can try to keep that momentum building.”

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France’s Grand Slam bid was brought to a shuddering halt in Edinburgh on Sunday as Scotland claimed a shock 28-17 win. They now take on a Wales team still adapting to new coach Wayne Pivac at the Principality Stadium having suffered consecutive defeats to Ireland, France and England.

But Watson reckons winning in Cardiff for the first time since 2002 would raise more eyebrows than their Les Bleus triumph. “Beating France was a statement win and it showed we can win against top teams,” he said. “But Wales at home is another hard test. We haven’t won there in 18 years so we know how tough it will be.

“Wales may only have won one game so far but they have been in the fight in the three others till the very end. It’s a big opportunity to win in Cardiff and while we go there every time believing we can do it, we also know we’ll have to be at our best to do so.”

– Press Association 

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Jon 6 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 8 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.

33 Go to comments
A
Adrian 10 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

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