Scotland (National Football)

The Old Firm are limbering up for their fourth battle of the season this weekend and both teams will be looking to put on and off field distractions behind them.

For Rangers, the drama has circled around one man’s petulance. Walter Smith got it just about right when he described Kris Boyd as an enigma. He has talent in abundance, but a serious change in attitude is needed if he is ever to fulfill his potential — he isn’t 18 anymore.

I thought perhaps the incident late last year, when he refused to play again under Scotland boss Craig Burley, was a one off. Those sort of incidents can be explained away as simple clashes of personality — it happens.

But after being sent home from Rangers training earlier this week, it is clear Boyd has a questionable attitude, even if boss Walter Smith is renowned for being a prickly character at best.

The striker has since apologised and will be on the squad for Sunday, though it remains to be seen whether he will play any part. Regardless, it is not the ideal preparation for such a big game and could mean the end of Boyd’s Rangers career in the summer.

For Celtic, it is on-field problems they will be looking to recover from. A humiliating Scottish Cup defeat to St Mirren last weekend has contributed to a poor run of form which has seen them win just six out of 12 games in 2009. Gordon Strachan’s men are now just three points ahead of their Old Firm rivals at the top of the SPL. The heart of the problem seems to lie up front with Scott MacDonald, Georgios Samaras and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink all struggling to get goals. A Hampden Park goal glut could set Celtic up for the rest of the campaign.

Despite not carrying the prestige of other competitions, the importance of the Co-op Insurance Cup final to the Old Firm cannot be understated. For Celtic it could be the chance to rediscover form, put the St Mirren defeat behind them and gather the required momentum for a title push. For Rangers, just a chance to concentrate on football would be welcome and if the first trophy of the year can be secured, you never know, two more could follow by May.

Greyfriar’s Bobby is perhaps the most famous Scottish canine sidekick; for 14 years the devoted Skye Terrier sat by the grave of his owner to protect him from harm.

Every year, thousands of visitors flock to the streets of Edinburgh to see the grave in the Greyfriars Kirk where the wee doggie sat and to have their photo taken by the grade A listed building (statue) that stands in the street still watching over his owner.

The love, partnership and devotion between a dog and its owner, so greatly exemplified in the tale of Bobby, is demonstrated every single day by the unique bond that a guide dog and its owner have.

To this end, there is another tale of devotion and kinship that is about to be woven in our humble wee country: Another canine that should be across the lips of many Scottish people for years to come.

We introduce to you to the story of the guide dog Travis and his owner Scott Cunningham; Scotland’s very own long distance trek charity fundraisers!

Having completed four long distance treks already spanning the length and breadth of the UK, each one a first to be completed by a guide dog and its owner, this year’s charity walk is one with a difference.

Travis and Scott will combine their love of walking with another one of Scott’s passions in life; Glasgow Rangers Football Club.

Trekking the West Highland Way, north to south, the pair will bypass the traditional finishing point in Milngavie and continue on to Glasgow’s South Side, finishing the walk at the home of Rangers, Ibrox Stadium.

Not only that, but the intrepid pair will be joined by many legends of Glasgow Rangers, including such fine servants of the club as Arthur Numan, Mark Hately, Andy Goram and Terry Hurlock. Never fear though, some of the Queens finest Royal Marine Commando’s will also be there to make sure there’s no slacking to hear too many football anecdotes.

The walk will kick off from Fort William on Saturday 4th April and end seven days later at the home of Scott’s beloved team. The Trek is no small affair, with each days walking covering at least 12 miles, sometimes more!

That’s tough going by anyone’s standards—although I suppose Travis has a head start, he has twice as many legs.

The aim of TravisTrek 5 is to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, the charity for which Travis and Scott have raised over £60,000 for to date.

The nation’s media are behind Scott and Travis too. The pair have appeared alongside celebrities on GMTV, as well as being featured in The Sun newspaper and on Rangers TV, getting as much coverage for the walk as possible and generating some celeb supporters along the way, including the dream-maker himself, Sir Jimmy Saville!

Alongside the fundraising, Scott has a very personal reason for doing these walks. He wants to inspire blind people like himself to take life’s challenges head on and live life to the full.

From mammoth tasks like trekking the nation’s long distance walks, to everyday tasks that most of us take for granted.

Scott’s life changed in 1993, when he was diagnosed with the rare eye condition, Lebers Hereditary Optic Neuropathy or LHON for short. Employed as a forklift driver for Royal Mail, Scott’s eyesight deteriorated fast and he had lost his vision within three weeks of diagnosis.

This rapid change of pace in his life was a shock to the system, taking Scott a while to adjust to his new life, and the changes that came with it.

His confidence had taken a knock and he became very withdrawn, until he visited the charity Guide Dogs for the Blind and was partnered with his first guide dog, Ike. Taking on a new hobby of hill walking, Ike and Scott became very active until Ike reached the end of his life as a guide dog and retired, at which point Scott was partnered with Travis.

Young, fit and full of enthusiasm, Travis was perfect for furthering Scott’s passion for walking, and the pair of them soon undertook the West Highland Way for the first time, conquering it and giving them a taste for success.

They have since went on to do the Penine Way and have raised awareness and cash wherever they have went. They are a testament to themselves and to us all; Rangers in the truest sense of the word.

If you want to get involved in TravisTrek5, and walk amongst the bygone stars of Rangers Football club then get registered on www.justgiving.com/legendstrek and get sponsored!

RangersMedia are hoping to be represented at the walk, so if you wish to do one of the days walks with us, then drop any member of staff a message and we’ll fill you in with all of the details.

Also, keep your eyes open for more information and articles about the trekking duo in the next few weeks as we build up to the event.

If you can’t make the Trek and still wish to help, then why not make a donation to the charity using the link provided.

Every penny counts and will go to help giving someone else their life back if they are visually impaired. Scott and Travis are a fantastic example of what can be achieved and we should be inspired by their outlook on life.

Scottish treasure Greyfriars Bobby stood by his owner for 14 years after he was gone, showing the kinship and love that’s possible between one man and his dog. By raising money for Guide Dogs for the Blind, we can help ensure that many blind people can have these life-giving partnerships with dogs all across the country.

For more details you can go to the Trek website to read all about how to get your boots on! http://www.travistrek.org.uk/join.html

It is a curious thing sport, where the difference between winning and losing sparks much debate as to the appropriate merits and quality of a team.

In rugby, it is especially so. 

Less than a month ago, we were all extolling the virtues of the Red Dragons. 

Against France, they were on the verge of equalling the tournament record of consecutive wins and looking ominous for winning back-to-back Grand Slams. 

Such an achievement would not only have cemented their position as the finest team in the Northern hemisphere, but also would have enabled comparisons to the fabled teams of the 1950s and 1970s.

However, Wales were overcome by an exceptional French performance, and now Warren Gatland is being criticised for devaluing the tournament and insulting the Italians by making wholesale changes to his side.

With this, we now look at Ireland, unbeaten.

Declan Kidney's side are seemingly on the verge of not only a Grand Slam, but righting the wrongs of the last few years by being so close to only their second-ever tournament whitewash.

And all this with a one point win over England? An England side that spent 20 minutes playing with one less player on the field?

Such are the rewards that come with victory. 

This is despite boasting a 5-6 win/loss ratio last year, and not having won a major championship since 1985.

Such an unwanted record has come despite having arguably one of the most stable, most experienced sides in the world. 

Despite the fact that this is, and has been, the best Irish team on paper in 134 years of test rugby.

So to read between the lines, much of this “astonishing” transformation is owed to Declan Kidney, the Magician of Munster, the two-times Heineken Cup winning Coach.

Still with largely the same team, the change in Ireland has been remarkable.

The fresh blood has been dynamic, with Rob Kearney, Luke Fitzgerald, and Stephen Ferris now firmly entrenched within the side.  But it has been the form of the old hands, led by Captain Brian O’Driscoll, who has impressed the most. 

This is a canny Ireland side, who against Scotland will boast an incredible 751 test caps in their starting 15. 

It has taken a while, but one suspects that the years of being Six Nations bridesmaids and the stain of failures such as the World Cup in 2007 have mentally hardened this team.

And now Kidney is adding the final touches to the blueprint.

It has not been Gallic flair that has put Ireland in this position; it has been uncompromising brutality and perfectly executed rugby basics. 

Ireland have not run riot in this championship. It is clear that they have adopted a just-win mentality, no matter how.

The reality is, as proven by England and South Africa in recent World Cups, that this is how international rugby is now being played.

But they now face a team whose best chance of victory may be in doing the opposite.

Scotland are in theory, in crisis.

It has been said that Coach Frank Hadden is drinking in the last chance saloon.  The overlord of Scottish rugby, Gordon McKie, has set a performance objective for this team; two wins in this tournament.

Considering that they haven’t beaten England at Twickenham since 1983, surely the only way to record that elusive second scalp will be against the Irish at home.

Despite winning their last encounter at Murrayfield 31-21, and losing by just one point before that, Scotland have only beaten Ireland twice this millennium.

While they are not taking major scalps, there is a lot to like about Scotland.

Their forwards and set pieces have been sound, remaining competitive against all comers this season.  Under former All Black Mike Brewer—Scotland’s forwards coach—players such as Nathan Hines and Euan Murray have developed to the point that they are being touted as Lions candidates.

Brewers past association with Leinster will surely have been noted by the Irish brain trust.

But it is the backs that look the threat, spearheaded by the Glasgow midfield of Graeme Morrison and Max Evans.  Add to this Simon Danielli, the Ulster flier who has one of Europe’s best wingers this season, and this is a Scotland side that knows how to attack.

Against France and Wales, Scotland made more line breaks, more attacking runs and off loaded more passes than their opponents. 

But, crucially, they did not score more points.

A team under pressure such as Scotland looks to play the percentages, but it appears that this may not be their natural game.  Playing against a hard-nosed Irish team, they cannot afford to be indecisive. 

If the game breaks open, it will be difficult to predict what will happen.  Man for man, the Irish are more experienced and have more class, but have not looked to freewheel their attack. 

If Scotland can finish their attacks, we could see an upset at Murrayfield.

Scotland vs. Ireland at Murrayfield

HEAD TO HEAD: Ireland 54, Scotland 63, Drawn 5

Last match: Ireland 34 – Scotland 13 at Croke Park

Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney (Leinster), 14 Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), 13 Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster, captain), 12 Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster), 11 Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster), 10 Ronan O'Gara (Munster), 9 Peter Stringer (Munster), 8 Denis Leamy (Munster), 7 David Wallace (Munster), 6 Stephen Ferris (Ulster), 5 Paul O'Connell (Munster), 4 Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster), 3 John Hayes (Munster), 2 Rory Best (Ulster) , 1 Marcus Horan (Munster).

Replacements: 16 J Flannery (Munster), 17 Tom Court (Ulster), 18 Mick O'Driscoll (Leinster), 19 Jamie Heaslip (Leinster), 20 Tomas O'Leary (Munster), 21 Paddy Wallace (Ulster), 22 Geordan Murphy (Leicester).

Scotland: 15 C Paterson (Edinburgh), 14 S Danielli (Ulster), 13 M Evans (Glasgow), 12 G Morrison (Glasgow), 11 T Evans (Glasgow), 10 P Godman (Edinburgh), 9 M Blair (Edinburgh, capt), 1 A Dickinson (Gloucester), 2 R Ford (Edinburgh), 3 E Murray (Northampton), 4 J White (Sale), 5 J Hamilton (Edinburgh), 6 A Strokosch (Gloucester)
8 S Taylor (Stade Francais), 7 J Barclay (Glasgow)

Replacements: D Hall (Glasgow), M Low (Glasgow), N Hines (Perpignan), S Gray (Northampton), C Cusiter (Perpignan), N De Luca (Edinburgh), H Southwell (Edinburgh)

Frank Hadden has announced a largely unchanged Scotland rugby team to face Ireland at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Scotland: Chris Paterson, Simon Danielli, Max Evans, Graeme Morrison, Thom Evans, Phil Godman, Mike Blair (Captain), Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, Euan Murray, Locks x2 (from: Jim Hamilton, Nathan Hines, Alastair Kellock and Jason White), Alasdair Strokosch, John Barclay, Simon Taylor

Replacements: Dougie Hall, Moray Low, 18 TBC, Scott Gray, Chris Cusiter, TBC, Hugo Southwell

As expected, Mossy gets the shout at 15, while Dickinson comes in for Chunk in a 1-for-1 swap—although they do represent two different types of one. He’s held off on the lock selection to see how training goes this week.

We’re all hoping Hines is fit (see my post below from earlier), so that affects the selection on the bench too. Interestingly, the other bench slot held by De Luca last week seems like it may be being held open until after fitness tests, for Rory Lamont perhaps?

Meanwhile, Ireland has announced a team with four changes including Stringer and D’Arcy in—plenty of experience there but if it was a choice between Stringer and either of our scrum-halves, I know which one I’d pick.

Strangely, in-form eight Jamie Heaslip has been dropped to the bench. Is Kidney picking a team to target specific areas, having previously picked the same starters in the last three? Or is he penalising their sluggish performance against England?

Ireland: Kearney; Bowe, O’Driscoll, D’Arcy, Fitzgerald; O’Gara, Stringer; Horan, Best, Hayes; O’Callaghan, O’Connell; Ferris, D Wallace, Leamy.

Replacements: Murphy, Wallace, O’Leary, Court, Flannery, O’Driscoll, Heaslip.

Welcome news ahead of this weekend that Big Nathan, Bigger Jim, and even Big Rory have returned to training with the Scotland squad this week. While Hamilton would have been expected to roll in pretty soon, Lamont was not scheduled to return 'til April, so that’s quite the surprise.

It’s unlikely that he’s at full fitness just yet after his ankle injury, but it's good to have him back. With a lot of focus on the full-back battle between Southwell and Paterson, let’s not forget Rory is our hope for the future in that position, provided he can convince Hadden it’s where he belongs.

Sale will be glad to have him back too as they lose players left, right and (inside) centre.

As for “former liability but now we love him” Nathan Hines, great news he’s back a week earlier than predicted. But then he did try and pick himself for France, just before he had knee surgery so he might be bringing the crazy.

If he can prove his fitness this week, might we see him worthy of a spot on the bench?

Of course it does bring up the whole argument about picking players on reputation or form again, but given the level of inconsistency in selection so far who knows. I hope he gets a chance to show his stuff in the next few weeks, with many touting him as a possible Lion.

Interesting that everyone seems to have problems with kiwi Riki “Parachute” Flutey as a Lion (I would too, to be honest, given he’s just qualified for England and is now off to France) but no-one baulks at the big man from Wagga Wagga. Perhaps because he has shown no shortage of fiery commitment in his years for Scotland.

In the absence of Chunk, these boys offer us a bit more ballast in the scrum. Would it be too much to ask for a team with Kellock, Hamilton, and Hines on the bench that offers Scotland a full complement of second rows for the first time this tournament?

There comes a time when you have to hold your hands up and say you got it wrong.

When Smith signed Miller in the summer, I gave up on going to watch Rangers. I said I wouldn't be back until they were both gone as I thought Miller was a bag of rubbish and I already despised Smith with a passion. I would say the decision was probably 70 percent protest against Smith and 30 percent protest against Miller. (I have been bad once, but there was a genuine reason for it.)

Having no doubt heard our thoughts and chants on him in the run up to the end of last season it has to be said that Millers decision to come to us was the second most craziest move in Old Firm history. It took a very brave boy to put himself and his family in that position of moving back to a "hostile" Old Firm goldfish bowl and overcome the initial booing of his every touch.

It would have been easy to buckle, but for me, Miller's mental strength has helped him overcome the rough ride.

Now, some might see this as an over-reaction a week or so after he has bagged a couple of doubles but it started me thinking about how he has been playing all season. I honestly cannot remember losing or drawing a game and blaming Kenny for it. He has missed a hatful of chances but they all seem to have happened in games where they didn't matter. What I can remember though is the important and decisive goals he has set up or scored in his second spell at Gers.

His doubles at Timmy Park and Easter Road were sublime moments, his double the other night made it more comfortable for us in what was starting to be an uncomfortable match and again yesterday another crucial double to fire us back to the top of the league.

Unlike the very frustrating Mr. Boyd, Miller puts in a shift every time he is on the park and you can see he clearly rattles defenders, which more often than not leaves gaps for his big "lazier" partner to nip into and steal the limelight.

I also like his refreshingly honest attitude. The other week he admitted he hadn't been capturing his early season form but that he was working hard at training and since his introduction at Timmy Park, he appears to be getting somewhat back to his best.

So where does that leave me? Do I relinquish my protest on the basis that I got Kenny wrong or do I continue on the basis that Smith still frustrates the living hell out of me?

I think I will leave it until the 30th May to decide on that...

Scotland 26 - 6 Italy

Yesterday we saw Scotland beat Italy.

They were led largely by the efforts of a man with an Italian name over whom many, including myself, have been guilty of indifference to in the past. For those watching on TV, they heard him be commented on by another man with an Italian name, who many of us have no doubt has been gulity of downright antipathy towards in the past.

Twin heroes of the day, Simon Danielli and Lawrence Dallaglio. We will get to Lol later. But, first let us talk, as we must, of Scotland.

We saw a fair bit less ineptitude in the basic skills than against France and almost a different team to the one that failed to turn up against Wales. The good thing was the way Scotland maintained the cutting edge and better support lines they had found at times in Paris, while chopping out some of the sloppy tackling and handling.

But for a yard of pace, or a pass inside, Danielli would have had a second try, and he more than made up for his knock-on a fortnight ago. With every performance, he is cementing his ownership of the shirt and the same could be said of both Evans boys.

Even with a hesitant interception thrown by Southwell, we now had the pace to recover the breakaway runner where two years ago we did not.

Max or Thom did not get nearly enough ball, while Southwell got too much and kicked much of it away. Having found a storming running game for Edinburgh, he seems to have lost it again and kicked too much, often poorly.

I think Paterson has earned his chance to start at full back against Ireland. We will need his boot, which allows Godman to concentrate on the Ireland back row that will be charging down his channel.

Speaking of changes, what about Chris Cusiter starting?

I am a huge fan of Blair, who has been talked up a lot for the Lions. But Cusiter has looked the sharper of the two with every game since Blair seems to go a little off the boil.

Sly hunch of the day: Cusiter with an outside chance of a slot on the Lions tour?

I just have a feeling he could be coming on to form at the right time and would like to see him get more of a chance to show this.

Up front, Euan Murray and Ally Kellock restored a bit of nous to the scrum and lineout, and should be definite starters in two weeks. Provided his fitness is okay, Murray is only going to improve from here.

There is something to be said for playing both Hamilton and Kellock to give real power in the set piece against Ireland. Alisdair Dickinson was much criticized in recent weeks for his scrum performances, but the Italy game allowed him to show that the set-piece is not necessarily the best showcase for his talents.

With Jacobsen injured, Dickinson should slot into his preferred No. 1 shirt for the next game and give us a few more barnstorming runs.

The back row of Strokosch, Barclay, and Taylor looked solid and settled.

Taylor and the big Stroker had vastly improved games with the ball in hand. Strokosch set the tempo with strong early running, while the defense and breakdown were solidly patrolled as we are coming to expect. And we will expect it to continue.

The one exception to any attempts at marshalling was Sergio Parisse, who seemed to do exactly what he wanted whenever he wanted in just about every area of the pitch, legally too. His performance was quite simply stupendous. Making one think you won’t see Taylor in the Stade No. 8 shirt any time soon.

Stroker handed him his Man of the Match award last year. Only for the scoreline yesterday, Parisse would almost have deserved Danielli’s award too.

While it was at times a very loose and scrappy game, Scotland showed enough style with their two well taken tries, the second involving almost the entire backline, to give us a little hope for the coming games.

More hope would have been given on watching the very poor Ireland versus England game. You almost feel sorry for Martin Johnson, who is struggling to build a team who just do not seem to all want to play on the park at the same time. 14 seems to be their preferred number.

A grimly determined, but overly negative performance towards the end and an undeserved near victory stopped us from overtaking them on points difference.

But you wonder where England go from here. Up, I suppose may be the only way. One thing is for sure, they need a new captain.

Speaking of former England captains, kudos must unfortunately go to the BBC too for unearthing a decent pundit to be the token “Italian” during coverage, one Mr. Lawrence Bruno Nero Dallaglio. Undoubtedly a figure of fear and loathing for many Scots, for the most part irrationally, Dallaglio and Scotland’s own Andrew Cotter offered a great balance of wit, insight and objectivity in their match commentary yesterday.

It was a breath of fresh air compared to the back-biting ramblings of Moore and Butler, which have now descended into some sort of idiotic sideshow all of their own. Or the pro-Welsh carping of Jonathan Davies, who was on Friday coupled with Nick Mullins who seemed to think Vincent Clerc was on the pitch for France, not in the 22.

We will have a full school report on the pundits post-tournament. But for now, I know who I would rather listen to. I never thought I would say it was a man named Dallaglio.

Meanwhile Ireland have found their captain again, with Brian O’ Driscoll looking almost back to his pre-2005 form. Possibly minus a little bit of pace and plus a slight concussion, but with that important little bit of magic intact. It is a good job, as Ronan O’Gara had one of his notorious off days and it seemed to spread throughout the rest of his team.

Despite the extremely dangerous Irish back row, who Scotland will have to keep a very close eye on, yesterday gave only a slight indication of the damage they could do.

Ireland looked a little rattled by the pressure of leading the tournament. Post match, Keith Wood said Irish coach Declan Kidney would do his utmost to install Ireland as underdogs in a couple of weeks.

This is patently ridiculous, you can see his point.

Neither of ours is a nation that likes to lead from the front, seemingly preferring the mantle of scrappy outsiders. Ireland are on course for a grand slam and so must be the clear favourites, even away from home.

However, make no mistake, if Scotland can keep building their level of performance, they could beat both Ireland and England.

Hadden never makes changes…ever!

Well, except this time.

Scotland have made 5 changes to the starting XV for this Saturday’s game against the French in Paris. In come both Max and Thom Evans to the starting line-up, joined by Simon Danielli, Alasdair Strokosch and Alasdair Dickinson. The full team for the game is:

First XV:

1. Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh)
2. Ross Ford (Edinburgh)
3. Alasdair Dickinson (Gloucester)
4. Jason White (Sale)
5. Jim Hamilton (Edinburgh)
6. Alasdair Strokosh (Gloucester)
7. John Barclay (Glagow)
8. Simon Taylor (Stade Francais)

9. Mike Blair (Edinburgh)
10. Phil Godman (Edinburgh)
11. Thom Evans (Glasgow)
12. Graeme Morrison (Glasgow)
13. Max Evans (Glasgow)
14. Simon Danielli (Ulster)
15. Hugo Southwell (Edinburgh)

Replacements:
Dougie Hall (Glasgow); Moray Low (Glasgow); Kelly Brown (Glasgow); Scott Gray (Northampton); Chris Cusiter (Perpignan); Chris Paterson (Edinburgh); Nick De Luca (Edinburgh)

Having only had a few minutes to digest I’ve a couple of thoughts.

Firstly this looks like a side set up to attack, the backs are quick and have natural finishers. The choice of Danielli is interesting, didn’t see that one coming but fits with the policy of one big and one not so big (there is no small in international rugby!) winger. Obviously no Paterson again and, considering his decent performance against the Welsh, that is slightly surprising. He does however allow you to put more depth on the bench as he can cover a number of positions. The additions of both Evans boys is encouraging and if they can get decent ball they have the skills and sheer pace to frighten the French.

Happy to see Strokosch in the starting line-up, he’ll certainly add a bit of bite and God help a Frenchman on the wrong side of a ruck! He’ll feel he has a point to prove after missing out against the Welsh and we can only hope he channels his aggression and passion in a more productive manner than Geoff Cross. Disappointed to see that White has kept is starting slot. Nothing against him, he is a cracking player, but this is not his strongest position and he looks like he is lacking match fitness. Surely a fit and ready Ally Kellock would have better? Moray Low doesn’t quite make the starting XV but at least he is on the bench and edges towards the elusive first cap.

Overall I’m pretty happy – this is a team that should have been selected last week. If we had Murray and Hines I’d be very optimistic about going to France. As it is the main worry for me is the pack’s ability to secure good quick ball and put pressure on the French forwards. If, and I think it is a pretty huge if, the pack can perform at the top level we have a back unit that can trouble any side in the competition. If I was French I’d look at that side and look at that back unit and be fairly apprehensive as the way the French play the game leaves them open to attack by speed. This Scotland line-up is quick. There are points in this side but so much comes down to ensuring protection for Blair and Godman.

Much happier this week, and whilst not optimistic of a Scottish victory this squad at least makes me think it’s going to be a damn good game. One thing is for sure, come Saturday evening we’ll know for sure whether Scotland are moving in the right direction and whether Frank Hadden has a future in his post as national coach.

(aka The Frank Hadden Story)

Stupid.

That’s the one word that describes so much of Scotland’s performance last Saturday, from the coaching staff down to the players. Scottish rugby are the masters of turning gold in crap, whether that is on the pitch, on the management bench or up in the comfort of the padded seats for the Blazers.

Scotland botched the whole start to the 6 Nations and were on the back foot from the minute the team was announced. There was genuine excitement in the lead up to the tournament and whilst it would have been nice to fantasise about Grand Slam heroics, most Scotland fans were just looking forward to a steady showing, a couple of wins and sign of greater attacking intent. Instead Hadden chose a side that was a mix of players playing out of position and, in some cases, out of form. As soon as the squad was announced the wind was taken out the sails as it was apparent that Hadden had gone for a lot of the old familiar faces that have been at the heart of the Scotland team over the last couple of disappointing seasons.

To compound this the players generally failed to rise to the occasion and in a couple of cases they made suicidal decisions. Simon Webster was a man under a lot of pressure: a public outcry (even if not reflected in the national press) had surrounded his inclusion instead of the on form (on fire?) Thom Evans. With this in mind, it is understandable that he was eager to put on a display and to make a mark. Alas, having lined his man up he decided to tackle like an idiot, failing to lead with his shoulder and choosing instead his napper. As a result he knocked himself out, and it is surprising that he managed to last as long as he did. Geoff Cross had a debut to forget, literally. Anyone who saw him during the national anthems would have seen how much the occasion meant to him and I was hopeful he would go on to have a good debut. Unfortunately events overtook him and in the end his challenge on a flying Welshman was both reckless and feckless.

So where does this leave us with just 4 days to go until they face the French in Paris?

The easy option is to say that that we’re doomed.

However, all might not be lost. For 20 minutes at the end of the game on Sunday, Scotland started to play a lot flatter and were able to attack the Welsh line. Max Evans scored a corker of a try and I was quite impressed with Paterson when he came on. The key this weekend will be the pack. It is essential that Strokosch is brought back in as his ability to battle and be aggressive will be vital to securing the breakdown. The Welsh were continually flopping over onto the Scottish side of the ruck, and whilst the ref chose not to punish this, the Scottish forwards should have made sure they didn’t want to do this twice. Instead they stood back and did nothing and the whole performance suffered from a lack of controlled and focussed aggression. The news that Hines is not available is a blow but there are suitable direct replacements waiting in the wings and I for one would very much like to see Kellock get a game. He will at least provide expert knowledge of the position and also isn’t afraid to stick the boot in if necessary.

In the backs out should go Lamont (looked off-pace and uninterested), Webster (injured and ineffective) and, unfortunately, Cairns. Cairns had a decent game but since he got almost no service he had little chance to shine and with Max Evans performing so well when he came on you have to feel that Evans has earned the start. Also coming in should be Paterson on one wing and Thom Evans on the other.

Like Rory I thought Cusiter came on and gave a very strong performance. He looked like he got the backs playing flatter and as a result the speed in which Scotland attacked, and broke the gain line, was actually fairly impressive. Cusiter also has the knowledge of the French game and his time overseas has obviously improved his game. However, unlike Rory, I’d stick with Blair. This is a guy who was nominated for world player of the year and whilst he didn’t have a great performance against the Welsh he was another player who was totally undermined by the misfiring pack (thanks Frank!). He deserves another start.

The French lost on Saturday in a cracking match against the Irish but they looked like they had a soft belly. Don’t get me wrong I think they pose a big attacking threat but if made to face a back line full of pace I believe there are weaknesses that the Scotland team can target. To me the French looked off the pace in the final 20 minutes, so if Scotland can stay within 10 points going into the last quarter they will have a chance to get something from the game.

Finally, one request to the Scotland team – make sure the first tackle counts. Too many times on Sunday it took multiple Scotland players to halt the Welsh and if we allow the French the opportunity to off-load in the tackle we leave ourselves open to attack. Hit your men and hit them hard (but not hard enough to knock yourself out cold!).

My head says that France will probably win this game but I do think Scotland can go to Paris and put on a good performance. If they perform to their true abilities then a result might just come.

I’ll be back later once Hadden has announced the squad – fingers crossed he doesn’t make the same mistakes as last week.