Scotland Rugby

As if the loss to Wales on Sunday wasn't enough, Scotland will now have to continue their Six Nations campaign without Alasdair Strokosch. Scotland's starting flanker sustained a broken hand in yesterday's defeat in Millennium Stadium and according to team doctor James Robson will miss four to six weeks.

The 29-year-old Strokosch has 24 caps for Scotland and has been an important element of the Scottish forward corps. Strokosch's injury also comes as Robson and the rest of the team await the status of winger Max Evans who left Sunday's match with an apparent ankle problem.

Evans was replaced by Stuart Hogg, the youngest Scottish player to earn a cap in 40 years, and Hogg went on to have an impressive international debut. Robson stated that Evans will be seeing a specialist and his status will be reevaluated later in the week. The good news for both Scotland and Evans is that the team has a fortnight before their next match against France at Murrayfield.

Robson will also monitor David Denton's foot injury along with the neck of Ed Kalman, who also earned his first cap on Sunday.

Strokosch and Evans join the list of notable Scottish players to go down with injuries in the past few months. Joe Ansbro, Moray Low and Kelly Brown have each missed the first two contests of the 2012 RBS Six Nations Championship.

Ruaridh Jackson has also been absent from Andy Robinson's first XV against England and Wales, but the 24-year-old stand-off played well last week for Glasgow Warriors and it is hoped he will be available for the team's February 26th matchup with France. 

It may be a little too early to begin discussing Scotland's potential in future tournaments as the 2012 RBS Six Nations is still going on, but Andy Robinson had to be encouraged by the play of his young players at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.

Even as yesterday's humbling defeat to Wales ferments in the minds of Robinson's team, 22-year-old David Denton, 19-year-old Stuart Hogg, and 26-year-old Greig Laidlaw made a powerful statement that Scotland will be a force in international rugby for a long time.

After a week that featured Number 10 Dan Parks walk away from the game and the late announcement that defence coach Graham Steadman will not be retained, Scotland's youth performed admirably against a gifted Welsh side. Although this certainly does not ease the sting of the loss, it does provide much needed optimism for Scotland moving forward.

Laidlaw, Parks' replacement, scored a try for Scotland and Hogg was denied a late try by a referee's knock-on call. Man-of the-Match, David Denton was superb again and after the game, Robinson remained upbeat as he praised his team's effort.

"I'm proud of the way the team's gone out the play the game," a somber but positive Robinson told the press. "We played very well and we're hurting and disappointed." 

Still, the coach has to be pleased with the way his young team performed. Along with Denton, Richie Gray and Ross Rennie were constantly pressing the Welsh defence.

Scotland is likely to get Ruaridh Jackson back and the 24-year-old Glasgow Warriors Number 10 could push Laidlaw for his spot in the first XV. Jackson has missed the first two matches of the Six Nations due to injury.

Whoever Robinson chooses in the days leading up to the France match, the future could be bright for this young Scottish side.

The first 40 minutes of Sunday's RBS Six Nations Rugby in Millennium Stadium match went nearly as well as any Scottish fan could have hoped for. Nearly as well.

As the first half of extremely physical rugby drew to a close, Scotland and Wales appeared ready to enter the changing rooms knotted at 3-3. But a late surge by Scotland pushed the Welsh defense to the brink of the white line and offensive coach Gregor Townsend's much maligned attack seemed destined to earn a much needed try. But after 21 grueling phases and just a few feet away from the white line, Scotland prop Allan Jacobsen's costly knock- on kept the game tied.

Jacobsen's mistake was then compounded as Chris Cusiter failed to control the opening kick off and immediately put the Scottish side on the defensive. The talented Welsh side never looked back. In a 14-minute explosion, Wales scored three tries with Alex Cuthbert capitalizing on Cusiter's gaff and Leigh Halfpenny finishing the other two.

Scotland also played a portion of the second half with only 13 men as Nick de Luca and Rory Lamont were sent to the sin-bin for separate yellow card incidents. 

The defeat is in many ways the latest disappointing installment for a Scottish side recently bumped from the world top 10 rankings after their loss to England last weekend. Missed opportunities and crucial mistakes have plagued Scotland of late, and Sunday's match was no exception.

Still, the game was not without positives for the Andy Robinson's team. Ross Rennie was marvelous throughout the contest and 6'10'' behemoth Richie Gray played an outstanding game. 19-year-old Stuart Hogg was also extremely impressive, as he earned his first cap and should have scored a try had a knock on him not been strictly called.

But moral victories are hardly satisfactory for a side looking to make a statement in the Six Nations. Much like in the England game, chances were there and the outcome could have been different even with the Welsh side's furious second half charge.

Andy Robinson and Co. now have two weeks to tend to their wounds and prepare for France at Murrayfield. If Scotland hopes to compete against a dominant French side, they will need to capitalize on their chances.

It must be difficult for Scotland to forget about last weekend's Calcutta Cup defeat. The 13-6 heartbreaking loss to bitter rival England has been analysed and discussed from virtually every angle over the last seven days and Andy Robinson's squad must find a way to move on if they hope to triumph over a Welsh side brimming with confidence.

Winger Max Evans seems to have an idea of how he and his teammates can do that. Speaking to the media yesterday Evans said, "It's going to continue to be the time to deliver. We need to deliver a good performance. We've got to keep the confidence we had going into the England game."

The sentiment Evans expressed demonstrates the resilience and positivity that could carry Scotland to victory on Sunday. Rather than distance themselves from the painful loss, Evans will look for inspiration from his team's collective mindset before the match.

"It was a good performance and it was just the small margins," Evans insisted. "Get those right and it's a complete performance."

The player charged with creating opportunities and keeping tabs on the "margins" will be newly inserted No. 10, Greig Laidlaw.  While the former scrum-half performed admirably in limited minutes against England, ex-Welsh captain Gwyn Jones piled on the pressure yesterday.

When asked about the Scotland attack, the BBC Wales commentator replied, "At the moment the way they are playing, they are so straight up-and-down, and so lacking in the basic skills that I would be disappointed if they were to score tries against us." Jones added that Laidlaw played like "a headless chicken" last week against England.

While the dearth of tries have frustrated Scottish players and coaches, Jones has provided Laidlaw and his teammates with even more motivation. After squandering a 10-point lead with three minutes to go in regulation, Scotland lost a dramatic 31-24 Six Nations match two years ago. Against a significantly favored Welsh side, Scotland would do well to remember that painful defeat. 

Commenting on the latest edition on Millennium Stadium, Evans remained positive. "We've been setting ourselves up in similar situations as we got ourselves in against England," Evans reiterated. "We will get in those situations against Wales. It's knowing the right thing to do."

If Scotland can capitalize on their chances and play smart rugby, it could be their match to win.

It was only a matter of inches.

A slightly different bounce or a little more reach—that was all that separated stand-off replacement Greig Laidlaw from becoming a hero for Scotland last weekend against England.

In just 23 minutes of play, Laidlaw impressed Scotland coach Andy Robinson enough to earn a spot in the starting XV this weekend against Wales. Although it will be his first start at the No. 10, Laidlaw does not plan on blinking.

"It's something I don't want to shy away from," Laidlaw said yesterday via Scotsman.com.

"I've been playing well and I wanted to make the step up to the international level, and I was looking forward to taking my chance. Now the first thing I need to do is what I do for Edinburgh, because that's what put me in this position in the first place."

Laidlaw's outspoken confidence is something many critics felt was missing from the freshly retired Dan Parks' game. After an up and down eight-year career with Scotland, Parks walked away from international rugby on Tuesday.

With Ruaridh Jackson, Robinson's preferred fly-half, recovering from injury, Laidlaw has stepped into the roll with enthusiasm and aplomb. 

Formerly a scrum-half, Laidlaw's versatility has also been a virtue for the young player. Robinson praised the 26-year-old converted No. 9 yesterday when he spoke with the media.

"He is a gifted footballer who is acclimatising very well to the differing demands of the stand-off position from having spent most of his career at scrum-half," Robinson said. He also alluded to the need to develop young talent at the stand-off.

Still, Laidlaw and his teammates will be up against an extremely talented Welsh side looking to move another step closer to becoming Six Nations champions. Laidlaw will need to bring his best effort if Scotland expects to play an expansive game and win in Millennium Stadium. 

With Dan Parks officially out of the picture, Scotland coach Andy Robinson faces few difficult decisions in his starting XV for this weekend.

As Greig Laidlaw prepares to take over the Number 10 from the departed Parks, Robinson must chose between Chris Cusiter and Mike Blair for the scrum-half position. 

Cusiter may have turned in Scotland's best performance against England apart from Man of the Match, David Denton, but Blair looked impressive at times as Cusiter's Calcutta Cup understudy and teams up with Laidlaw at club level with Edinburgh. 

Complicating Robinson's scrum-half dilemma further is the decision to have Scotland A's Duncan Wier on the sidelines ready to replace Laidlaw against Wales. Weir plays with Cusiter with Glasgow Warriors and has been a star for Scotland A, playing a significant role the squad's authoritative 35-0 victory over England Saxons last weekend.

Beyond the scrum-half decisions, the rest of Robinson's XV is relatively straight forward. Weir's fellow Scotland A teammate, Stuart Hogg will be ready to make his senior debut on Sunday as a replacement. The nineteen year-old appears poised to make an immediate impact after his breathtaking try against England Saxons.

Additionally, Geoff Cross will replace Euan Murray as tighthead prop, as the latter does not play on Sundays for religious reasons.

What remains unclear is whether the Scottish side will be able to compete with a talented Welsh side coming home to the Millennium Stadium after their crucial victory to open the Six Nations Championship against Ireland.

Probable Scotland XV:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7bNiLpYGdo

15 Rory Lamont             1. Allan Jacobsen

14 Max Evans               2 Ross Ford

13 Nick de Luca            3 Geoff Cross

12 Sean Lamont            4 Jim Hamilton

11 Lee Jones                5 Richie Gray

10 Greig Laidlaw           6 Alasdair Strokosch 

9 Chris Cusiter             7 Ross Rennie

                                  8 David Denton

Scotland coach Andy Robinson has a lot to think about this week. After a less-than-sterling performance against England last Saturday at Murrayfield, Robinson's Scottish side have little time to regroup and prepare for a strong Wales team coming off a second straight significant victory against Ireland.

Of the many tactical decisions facing Robinson and attack coach Gregor Townsend, none is more significant than the No. 10. After a stagnant first half against England, half-back Dan Parks had a clearance attempt that was blocked and resulted in the only try of the 13-6 loss. The 33-year-old Parks has since come under fire from both fans and former players.

As longtime Scotland captain Andy Nicol told the Scotsman yesterday, "The selection of Dan Parks at 10—for a specific reason, to get Scotland playing in the right areas—didn't work and I would say there was a bit of a spike when Greig Laidlaw came on."

In the days after the England loss, it has become assumed that Parks' time at the 10 is over for Scotland. While Robinson has remained relatively mute on the subject, Laidlaw's pace and creativity provided a spark for the Scotland attack and could remain a catalyst as the team prepares to travel to Cardiff for Sunday.

Waiting comfortably at home is a Welsh side that sustained an impressive performance throughout the back-and-forth affair in Dublin last weekend with strong efforts from George North, Leigh Halfpenny and Jonathan Davis. With a seemingly unstoppable three-quarter line, Scotland will need to eliminate costly mistakes and capitalize on opportunities. 

Many around the team have advocated for an additional adrenaline shot of Stuart Hogg and Duncan Weir. Both looked tremendous at times in their 35-0 defeat of the England Saxons last week, with Hogg scoring a miraculous try and Weir turning in a fantastic second-half performance. 

Whether Robinson chooses to include Hogg and/or Weir on Sunday's roster, the Scotland coach did receive positive news from the team doctor regarding several key players. Richie Gray, David Denton, Alastair Kellock, and Nick de Luca have all responded well to treatment this week and should be fully recovered by this weekend's contest in Cardiff.

For Scotland to win this Sunday, they must remember how close they came to winning against an inexperienced English side. If Ross Rennie timed his pass better after breaking through the line, if Parks had been able to clear the ball, if the TMO had ruled in Laidlaw's favor on a near-try, the Scots could easily have escaped on top. 

With a healthy roster and a slight adjustment in the starting XV, Scotland could defeat Wales, but it won't be easy. Let's hope Robinson and his staff have them ready.

It has been a tough few matches for Scotland fly-half Dan Parks. After he missed a makable drop-goal against Argentina in this past year's Rugby World Cup that would've helped put Scotland in a better chance to advance, many felt Parks would be crucial in last night's Calcutta Cup against bitter-rival England.

Parks' night opened strongly for Scotland, as his two penalties paced the Scottish side to a 6-3 halftime lead. Parks and Scotland did not have much time to remain positive as his clearance was blocked by Chris Hodgson and recovered for and England try. 

If this had been Parks' only mistake, Scotland fans would be still calling for this replacement. His unimaginative game plan, however, made him the primary recipient of postgame consternation from a variety of sources. Often criticised as dull, Parks' momentum-killing style is frequently cited as the reason for Scotland's scoring troubles.

Hodgson expressed empathy for Parks after the game. "I know how it feels," Hodgson said. "Every fly-half has had a kick charged down." Yet, Parks well documented troubles extend far beyond last night's contest.

Still, Parks should not be considered the scapegoat. In the 44th minute, for example, Scrum-half Chris Cusiter brought the ball back to the Scotland 22 before kicking the ball out and giving England a throw at the 22 and another scoring chance. Cusiter was only saved by an obstruction call on England No. 4 Mouritz Botha.

But the finger remains solidly pointed at Parks as his replacement, Greig Laidlaw, was burst of energy for the Scottish side in the second half. After coming fingernails away from a try, Laidlaw was creative in his distribution of the ball and routinely put Scotland in scoring chances. 

As Parks and Scotland get ready to travel to Cardiff next week to face a talented Welch side, coach Andy Robinson should determine if his regular fly-half is the answer. 

It was all there for Andy Robinson's Scottish side at Murrayfield last night. As an inexperienced English team prepared for stormy weather and 67,000 Scottish supporters, Robinson promised "mayhem" and "chaos" from his squad.

Confidence was extremely high as Scotland tried to move past their mistake-prone loss to Argentina in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. 

The first half was a hard-fought and physical contest with Scotland leading 6-3 after two successful penalties from stand-off Dan Parks. In the changing rooms, Robinson's men remained calm and positive.

Then, in the early minutes of the second period, England's fly-half Charlie Hodgson blocked Parks' clearance and scored the match's only try. As England celebrated, Scotland appeared visibly shaken. They never recovered their confidence, failing to score for the remainder of the contest.

After Hodgson's try, Scotland surrendered just one penalty to England fly-half Owen Farrell, but could not counter with any scoring of their own. In many ways, missed chances make the pain particularly acute for Scotland.

Lock Jim Hamilton said after the match, "We came in believing as a team that we could win."

A noticeably frustrated Hamilton continued: "The story of our lives. Making opportunities, creating opportunities, making line breaks and just not finishing them off."

Failing to score tries has been a recent problem for the Scotland Squad. In the nail-biting loss to Argentina, Scotland did not have any tries, and last night Greig Laidlaw's outstretched hand just missed the ball, according to the TMO.

Scotland back-row David Denton appeared somber after the contest, despite having earned Man of the Match. "It's a game of inches and we lost a few of those," he said. "England defended exceptionally well, but we're very close to clicking and when it happens we will be very dangerous." 

Scotland certainly hopes Denton's words prove true as they prepare for Wales in Cardiff next week.

Hamilton advised, "We need to go down there with as much confidence as we can take out of that game [England] and believe in ourselves. You know, looking at the opportunities that we had today, and just believing that they're going to come up for us."

A must-win match for many reasons, Scotland need to take Hamilton and Denton's words to heart as they get ready for another tough contest next week.

Scotland now face a very tough task of defeating England in their final pool match if they are to have a hope of qualifying for the quarterfinals of Rugby World Cup 2011. This comes off the back of a heartbreaking 13-12 loss to Argentina, in what was the crunch match of Pool B.

The loss was made even more heartbreaking given the dominance Scotland had held during the game, looking more assured and seemed to have a win in the bag if they just kept plugging away the same way they had. It certainly looked this way holding a 12-6 lead late in the game, with Argentina seemingly incapable of scoring.

But then came a moment of brilliance from the Argentines, or rather a lapse from the Scots, as replacement fullback Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino broke four Scotland tackles to score the decisive try just eight minutes from the end. This took the score to 12-11 with a kick to come, and it seemed Scotland were odds on to retain the lead given Argentina's woeful kicking display.

But as the saying goes, the top players will make the play when it really matters, and Felipe Contepomi kicked the goal which would hand Argentina a 13-12 win and a likely berth in the quarterfinal.

This leaves both Scotland and Argentina tied on 10 points in the overall pool standings, with England in front on 14. 

Argentina are all but through with a game against Georgia to come, where they will expect to win relatively comfortably and claim five points taking them to 15.

Scotland however, must face off with Pool B favourites England and win well if they are to keep their World Cup dream alive. 

While they still have a chance against England, they will be doing well to win. The thing with Scotland in all their games is that they haven't given opposition defences that much to worry about. In their last two games they haven't crossed the line once, and even against Romania they looked incapable of scoring for large portions of the game.

It just seems unlikely that they will beat England at playing a tight game. In Max Evans they have a winger who has looked very dangerous, but they don't seem to be able to put him away and make full use of his abilities. But elsewhere they lack any sort of flair and the English should have no problems containing them.

They are strong defensively, but will have to deal with far more from the England back line than they have had to so far this World Cup and there will be question marks over whether they can or not. So far they have played three teams who have looked to play a tight game and have coped okay. Romania at times threw the ball wide and exposed some weaknesses in the Scotland defence, and it seems likely that the likes of Ashton, Tuilagi and Foden will be able to do the same. That is, if England choose to play that way. 

If they do opt to play a tight game, as they so often do, it will be a much closer game. But one would still have to back an experienced England team to beat a Scotland team that hasn't really shown much since arriving in New Zealand.

Although in saying all of that, it isn't beyond Scotland.

If they muscle up and defend, they give themselves a chance. They have some good players and need to make sure they get the most out of them. And besides, World Cups are notorious for going against the run of play. Scotland have never failed to progress past pool play, maybe they'll find it within themselves to shock the world next Saturday night.