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
This is like the “catches win matches" saying in cricket. If ABs were pragmatic and kicked for goal instead of hunting tries, I reckon they win that game with ease. Instead, nearly 6 months later; we have World Rugby's official mouthpiece celebrating their Almost Won the Rugby World Cup trophy. Fine Victory Gentleman! Well-earned!!
72 Go to comments“…the All Blacks nearly won…” is the only phrase you need to concern yourself with relative to this “journalistic” piece. Enjoy your Almost Won the World Cup victory…
72 Go to commentsAw common. Stop winging. There were no errors by officials. It is all recorded. Whose fault was the Cane red card? Or the Savea knock? Maybe the selectors who insisted on making a very average player their captain should be blamed. Something had to give way.
72 Go to commentsThe latest ‘Ireland are arrogant’ attack from one of the two most arrogant rugby nations on earth.
108 Go to commentsWaawaawaaaaaaaa
23 Go to commentsHow does this guy still have a job?
72 Go to commentsSorry bok you can't beat facts, we heard you all crowing how great you thought you were..lol ! We all watched the game, cheatsabeth cheating cost abs a try, only a penalty considering it was cynical and a professional foul, doesn't matter who wrote this because thats how it happened, but you go enjoy your gifting of the cup,
72 Go to commentsCan we talk about the context of how this particular journalist continues to make a living and gets published? Controversy for clicks. Shame on all of us for engaging with these irrelevant opinions.
72 Go to commentsAn astounding article !
72 Go to commentsFrance didn’t lose against New Zeland in 2011, but against Joubert…
72 Go to commentsHahahaha knew the “journalist” just by seeing the headline. Not wasting my time reading it as I know it's just another toxic manifestation of the boks living rent free in this babies head.
72 Go to commentsWhen you read those facts, you can say safely that the game was handed to the Springboks by the ruling mistakes made by the Referee and TMO. Perhaps that is why South Africans were/are so “noisey” about the win….this behaviour perhaps concealing that they realise luck played a big part in the result. Certainly not a good look for the IRB going forward…pretty shoddy sadly.
72 Go to commentsI must admit to being quite surprised by all the wine-ing and hand wringing from most AB pundits; commentators and the general analysis after a classic and engrossing final. I shudder to think how the pundits would’ve reacted if the AB’s where victors with 1 point on the day.. Most Bok fans pundits; fans and commentators take a loss on the chin; congratulate the winner and move on…and till now the NZ rugby fans where the same.. Naas Botha’s famous quote has never been more apt…. Cowboys don’t cry or make excuses.. STOP IT CRY-BABIES; …..YOU LOST.
72 Go to comments4 out of 8 beats 3 out of 10 cups. Maybe NZ are bad finishers???🤣🤣🤣
72 Go to commentsBokke bokke Bokke
1 Go to commentsThe main thing you need on your side to win a World Cup is luck. ABs had their fair share of it in the 2011 final. One score game in the SF vs Springboks in 2015 means there always things you can look at and say if this thing or that thing happened then SA would/should have won that game. Smith’s try being called back broke protocol, but it was the correct decision, so I don’t have a problem with that. If it was an SA try called back in the same circumstances I don’t think many ABS fans would have a problem with it. Cane’s shot was high, it was the classic thing NZ players have been doing, and getting carded for for years - Walking around bolt upright trying to put a big hit on someone. Stupid play by someone with a poor disciplinary record. The one that was a big problem for me was Etzebeth’s obstruction. The referee just choked on this occasion. Frustrating to have the TMO in his ear all night, apart from at this moment. Minimum yellow card for Etzebeth, but a very strong case for a penalty try also. Despite all that the ABs had the opportunity to be ahead with 3 minutes to play, so it’s hard to point fingers too much. Pollard makes that kick 99/100. JB and RM make it 50/100. That’s what it came down to in the end.
72 Go to commentsBOKS had a great side in 2011 and were in kicked out by a NZ ref and Nz were very lucky to win in final against France.
72 Go to commentsBarrett's try came from a forward pass, and perhaps the Bok game plan would have been different had the ABs remained with 15 on the pitch. We will never know. But if we are living in a world if what if's, then go back to the France v Bok game. France dominated the WC, and had they gotten past the boks, would have easily beaten the ABs in the Final
72 Go to commentsRehashed articles. But this piece does not do justice to how good the Boks had to be to win that tournament, and how immense some of their players were in that final. Peter Stef du Toit played one of the greatest games by a loose forward ever. All Blacks played well but not well enough and came up short. There are a million ‘if’s’ and none of the ‘if’s’ that don’t happen will win you a footy match.
72 Go to commentsSour grapes/ face it the allblacks aren't that good anymore LoL!!!
72 Go to comments