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Noises from Scotland suggest reconciliation with Russell not high on agenda
Finn Russell’s expulsion from Scotland’s squad has long been “parked” and presents a major opportunity for Adam Hastings to nail down the stand-off position, according to assistant coach Mike Blair.
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Scotland will start their Guinness Six Nations campaign away to Ireland after preparation for the championship was severely disrupted by the influential Russell being sent home for a breach of team rules.
The 27-year-old Racing 92 star was last week disciplined following an alleged late-night drinking session and a question mark hangs over his future participation in the tournament.
Skills coach Blair insists Gregor Townsend’s players have put Russell’s dramatic departure to one side ahead of a tough assignment in Dublin and is confident 23-year-old Hastings has the talent to deputise with distinction.
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“The squad have been aware of how it’s been dealt with and how we’re moving on from it,” Blair said of Russell’s exclusion.
“It’s been parked for a while now.
“We have to focus on us and what we’re doing and the best way to respond to adversity like that is putting a really strong performance on the pitch.
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“It’s a team game, guys are going to drop out through injuries, or form, or whatever happened with Finn, and the team is the most important thing.
“Adam has come in and done a brilliant job. He’s loving it.
'As he’s grown up, he has had more of an opinion, but I haven’t seen any arguments between him and Gregor.'
Ex-Scotland captain @johnbarc86 talks Scotland camp, Finn Russell and the reality of failure in elite sport #IREvSCO https://t.co/88jcXi0EVk
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 31, 2020
“He’s stepped up in training, he’s bossing the guys, he’s a really confident guy anyway and he’s really competitive.
“He’s got this opportunity to nail this position down and the detail that he is providing, the way he’s speaking to the players, the way he’s training, has been really impressive.”
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Scotland have not won in the Irish capital in a decade and will walk out at the Aviva Stadium as rank outsiders.
For hosts Ireland, the game marks the beginning of a new era under Andy Farrell.
Scotland's Six Nations' preparations have been dominated by off fields dramas and it sounds like the players are a mite p***ed off.
– @JLyall93 previews Scotland Ireland and the mountain they face in Dublin this weekend #SixNationshttps://t.co/DssK7v0avM
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 30, 2020
Head coach Farrell is aiming to develop a team the “Irish public love watching” after replacing Joe Schmidt following last year’s World Cup.
Forwards coach Simon Easterby, who worked alongside Farrell under Schmidt, expects Ireland’s new style to emerge gradually as the tournament progresses.
“You don’t need to move everything. It’s about trying to challenge the guys to think slightly differently, approach the game a little bit differently,” said Easterby.
“The attack, I think that’s something that will evolve over time. It’s not going to happen overnight.
“The good things we had over the last couple of years, hopefully they will be in place with the added quality of what we’ve been working over the past couple of weeks.
“It’s not going to be perfect. It will take time and hopefully we will see that evolve and develop over the Six Nations.”
PA
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments