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'Winning five international games in a row isn't a fluke'
Blair Kinghorn is hoping to savour the joy of six after insisting the Scotland unbeaten streak is no fluke. Gregor Townsend’s team are currently on their joint-best run since the advent of professional rugby, having chalked up consecutive wins over Italy, France, Georgia, Wales and the Azzurri again.
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They can go one better and match a sequence last achieved in 1990 by beating Les Bleus when they visit Murrayfield on Sunday for their next Autumn Nations Cup clash.
Yet former Scotland skipper John Barclay attempted to put some perspective on his old side’s recent achievements in the build-up to last weekend’s 28-17 triumph in Florence when he wrote in the Times: “Cool-headed analysis makes it clear that Scotland have not transformed themselves into world-beaters. Yet.”
The retired flanker insisted he was not trying to rain on Townsend’s parade but felt it had to be pointed out that Italy are the perennial whipping boys of the Six Nations, Wales are struggling under new coach Wayne Pivac, and the Georgians were playing their first game in six months.
As for the French, they found themselves battling with only 14 men for 46 minutes back in March after seeing Mohamed Haouas sent off for punching Jamie Ritchie. But winger Kinghorn insists all those facts do not diminish what his team have achieved of late as he insisted Scotland should be proud of their recent record.
This game had it all! ?
Missed @ScotlandTeam v @Federugby yesterday? Don't worry, we got your back!
Enjoy the extended highlights right here ?#ITAvSCO #AutumnNationsCup pic.twitter.com/eFyJRMX7qq
— Autumn Nations Cup ? (@autumnnations) November 15, 2020
“Winning five international games in a row is not a fluke,” said the Edinburgh back. “We have been playing good rugby, regardless of what people think of the other teams. We play a good brand of rugby. We managed to keep our momentum going from the Six Nations, which was great to see.
“A lot of that comes from our defence as well. We conceded the fewest points in the Six Nations, which is a great start, and we’ve managed to keep backing that up. We know the challenge that France can bring, but we are up for it. I’m more than confident that we will put in a performance that will justify a victory.
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“We obviously back ourselves in every game we go into. Yeah, France only had 14 men last time we played but quite often you see teams with 14 men come out on the winning side of the result because a team with 15 think they’ve got the game won and relax. That wasn’t the case with us, so hopefully we can back that performance up and get another victory.”
That Murrayfield setback was France’s only defeat this year and Townsend reckons this weekend’s opponents are currently in better shape than the All Blacks. Fabien Galthie’s team will certainly be fresh when they run out in the capital having been awarded a 28-0 win after Saturday’s clash with Fiji was axed on the back of a Covid outbreak in the Pacific Islanders’ squad.
But Kinghorn has backed Scotland to do the double on Les Bleus if their rock-solid defence holds firm. “The main feeling I had in the first game against France was that in the second half I felt really comfortable,” said the 23-year-old.
“I felt we could contain their threats are very well. They have some dangerous individuals, but we defended really well that day and it was good to get the result. We are all buying into the same goal. Line breaks and missed tackles will always happen in games, that’s the nature of the game, but you see our work rate and our relentless effort to work hard for each other.
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“That’s the main point – everyone is working hard together for one goal. I feel that our defence is relentless. You see some of the big lads getting through 20-odd tackles per game and that is paying off.”
Scottish Rugby announced on Wednesday that it supported a recommendation by the Scottish Rugby Council to suspend 2020-21 competitive fixtures at all levels of the club and school game due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The season had been delayed until January 2021, but the timescale has now been extended to the end of the regular season in the spring.
"It seems like they are in between two different styles of play"
– Dylan Hartley and Simon Zebo focus in on Wales' 6-game losing streak on the latest episode of RugbyPass Offload https://t.co/oSnWSStuWz
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 18, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Absolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
5 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
5 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to comments