Scotland need wins, not glorious defeats – Andy Goode
The All Blacks got out of jail on Saturday and you couldn’t help but be impressed by Scotland and the whole atmosphere at Murrayfield but this side must have more ambition and need to turn those glorious defeats into victories.
Everyone is talking about pride in defeat but ultimately it is another defeat for Scotland. They have turned a corner in the past couple of years and look like they could be ready to compete at the top level but they now need to win a game like that to make a real statement.
I’ve got no doubt that Scotland will have success under Gregor Townsend and they do deserve praise for competing with the best team in the world but the extent of their success will depend on their ambition moving forwards and I think they’ll be aiming for more than just running the All Blacks close.
Gregor was the ultimate competitor and the Scottish players will be desperate to turn these valiant defeats into victories, so they won’t just be content with Saturday.
With players like Huw Jones, Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg in their side, they’re always going to pose an attacking threat but they had clearly worked hard on defence after being shambolic at times against Samoa.
Everyone said their front five was too lightweight and would get blown away by the All Blacks but they proved that wasn’t the case as well.
The All Blacks were a very fortunate in the end. Kieran Read slapped the ball out of Jonny Gray’s hand after Wyatt Crockett had been sinbinned and they could’ve been down to 13 men, which might have allowed Scotland to break free and win the game. It was classic New Zealand.
Doddie Weir delivering the match ball alongside his three sons before the game was a special moment and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. It was very emotional and that seemed to inspire Scotland and the crowd and the atmosphere up at Murrayfield looked sensational.
Read shook his hand and the All Blacks were clearly moved by it as well and that’s what’s great about rugby. Doddie is a real fighter and wants to make a difference and he embodies the true spirit of rugby and it was great to see both teams and the crowd responding so well to him.
Emotionally, Scotland poured so much into that New Zealand game and it’ll be fascinating to see whether they can go to the well again and replicate that performance or raise their game again to beat Australia this weekend.
They’ve beaten Australia away, they’ve beaten Ireland and Wales and other good sides and the only two stepping stones for the Scots to get over now in terms of mental hurdles, as well as physical ones, are England and New Zealand.
They’ve never beaten New Zealand and it’s a decade since they last beat England and they’ve only won the Calcutta Cup three times since 1991. England have to go to Murrayfield in the upcoming Six Nations and the Scots will see that as a huge opportunity to show where they’re at now.
More immediately, they have got to back up their performance against the All Blacks with a victory against the Wallabies to really put themselves on the map.
Australia will be up for the fight again but they might need dragging off the floor after the events of the closing stages against England at Twickenham.
I thought the referee had a poor game and everything seemed to go in England’s favour, which led to the Australians’ heads going down and them running out of steam and the scoreline flattered England in the end.
There’s a very high angle of Elliot Daly’s try, which the TMO didn’t see, where it looks like the ball did hit the touchline. Chris Robshaw was about five metres offside before Stephen Moore is penalised for blocking him in the lead up to Marika Koroibete going over too and that was a turning point.
Michael Hooper had a disallowed try in the first half as well and the Aussies weren’t happy with Hooper or Kurtley Beale being yellow-carded, so everything went in England’s favour but they were the better side and deserved to win.
Australia’s frustration was understandable but it was unsavoury to see the amount of players berating the referee and asking him to look at things and we don’t want to go down the same road as football and have people appealing all the time and ranting and raving.
Michael Cheika had fans shouting at him as he was coming down the steps as well and there is no place for that in rugby, regardless of whether he was having a go back.
He has ended up clapping decisions that he didn’t agree with and I’m not a lip reader but if he is found to have used the phrase “******* cheats”, then World Rugby do need to have a look at it because it’s not a good picture to be portrayed to kids, coaches or players across the globe.
Cheika is always animated during games and you can understand his frustration but we all have a responsibility to keep some decorum and you do have to control yourself under pressure.
You only have to go back to Dylan Hartley in the Premiership final a few years ago and he was sent off for using the word “cheat”. Wayne Barnes rightly said that there was no place for that language, whether it was directed at him or another player, so a precedent has been set and World Rugby should look into it.
Ultimately, regardless of the weekend’s action, New Zealand are still the best team in the world and England are still the second best but neither are performing at their absolute maximum right now and that is giving other teams hope.
This time last year, before Ireland beat them, the All Blacks looked almost invincible but teams have worked out ways of being competitive and beating them. England haven’t been able to have a crack at them since 2014 but have won 22 of their last 23 games.
Those two are still out in front but Scotland now look like they can really compete and Ireland are looking strong too, so everything’s building nicely towards a very competitive and wide open Six Nations in 2018.
Comments on RugbyPass
Pot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
19 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
4 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
19 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
19 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
19 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
1 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
19 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
19 Go to commentsCouldnt agree more. SA sides need to show more committment and really have a go at the Champions Cup. Its quite possibly the most prestigious title in Europe and SA sides need to respect that prestige and serve up their best. EPCR needs to do more to ensure that sides from South Africa and sides travelling to and from SA have a better chance in this competition. The Bulls were put in a really difficult position of having to travel there and back in one week. One could argue that this is what the SA sides signed up for and that La Rochelle didnt complain or send out weakened sides despite having to travel to SA and back and play on successive weekends but surely the situation is also unfair on La Rochelle as well and so EPCR needs to think about successive gameweeks and the travel effect of the competition
19 Go to comments