'We control our future': Scotland coach's honest WXV Global Series review

Scotland “certainly have enough” in their armoury to trouble Australia this Saturday in their WXV Global Series clash in Sydney.

That is the view of the Scots’ attack coach Tom Luke who watched the team build up a 10-5 lead against the Wallaroos at half-time on September 26 at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh, before the visitors dominated the second period to win 30-10.

Scotland are now heading Down Under for two Tests against the same opponents and ahead of the first of those at the weekend, Luke said: “We certainly have enough to trouble Australia.

“I think we showed that in patches, particularly in the first half and at the beginning of the second half against them last time.

“It’s just about stringing those moments together as often as we can and then capitalising on that pressure and turning it into points a little bit sooner.

“I think as a group we were pretty disappointed with how the last game ended up.

“After around 45 minutes of the game we felt like we had really good control, but we probably hadn’t scored as often as we would have liked in the first half to build a big lead before turning around into a strong wind.

“At the end, the overriding emotion was one of disappointment because we felt like a lot of the problems Australia caused us in the second half were down to our own doing.

“The positive around that second half frustration is that we know that we’re able to correct it and control our future so hopefully that’s what we’ll do on Saturday.”

The attack coach added, “Despite defeats, there have been some really bright moments in attack in the three Tests we have already played in the WXV albeit against really difficult opposition in Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

“For us to compete for 80 minutes this coming weekend, we have to be a little bit more consistent at the breakdown and in the tackle area. I think Australia did a really good job against us in that space at the Hive.

“If we can get a little bit more competitive in those kinds of areas then we’ll be able to string more phases together, build more pressure, win more penalties for the attack and start moving the game down the field, which is obviously a huge advantage.”

Scotland lost to Canada, New Zealand and Australia last month in their WXV Global Series action in Edinburgh and it means that they have lost seven Tests on the spin in all competitions. Their last triumph was against Wales in Cardiff in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations back in April.

When Sione Fukofuka hastily left his job as Scotland head coach in August, interim head coach Dave Butcher and Scottish Rugby’s head of performance and pathways Andy Rhys Jones worked quickly to bring in new assistants Tom Luke, Chris Laidlaw and Robbie Fergusson to work with the playing group during the WXV Global Series period.

Luke is with Scotland on a short-term contract and will be returning to his ‘day job’ as backs and attack coach at Bristol Bears at the end of this month, but the Scottish players have taken to him well and he has been enjoying his time in Butcher’s set up.

“It was extremely quick,” said Luke about how the Scotland opportunity came about during the summer

“I was sat on a beach and I got a phone call asking if I’d be interested in the role, which I said yes to pretty quickly.

“After that, it was about Bristol Bears doing the due diligence at their end to make sure that the team down there was covered while I was going to be away. That was a priority for me too because that’s been my home for the last five years and continues to be my home.

“I wanted to make sure they were in good order, but the club were great with it and as soon as those things fell into place, it all got sorted pretty quickly.”

He added, “It’s been great working with Scotland.

“I don’t know if they [Butcher and Rhys Jones] did some secret personality profiling in the background before appointing the assistants, but the three of us and Dave get on extremely well.

“We work really hard in our own individual roles, and we see that in each other and respect it. That’s a great basis for a working relationship.

“I’ve got a contract until the end of October and then my full focus goes back to things with the Bears, and we’ll see what that looks like.

“Those are the plans that I have in place as things stand.”