‘Scotland were disappointed, but 40 minutes does not make a team poor overnight’
Last Friday, everyone in Scotland was very positive about the Guinness Six Nations and what was to come.
Indeed, even at half-time of Saturday’s clash with Ireland at BT Murrayfield, the excitement was building as they had the second-best team in the world on the ropes.
However, fast forward a few days and Scotland have been licking their wounds after the 22-13 loss to Ireland. Ryan Wilson and Huw Jones have been ruled out of the remaining three rounds of action and talisman Stuart Hogg is nursing a shoulder problem that leaves any further involvement in serious doubt.
However, it is not all doom and gloom and in the first two rounds newer faces like Jamie Ritchie and Sam Johnson have starred.
So, what are the current key talking points north of the border ahead of the trip to Paris next week - where Scotland have not won since 1999?
Who will wear 13, it seems unlucky for some (many)
A lot of people often talk about Scotland’s strength in depth in the centre positions and, when everyone is fit, that is certainly the case.
However, the likes of Mark Bennett, Matt Scott and Duncan Taylor cannot catch a break from injury while Alex Dunbar has now gone out on loan from Glasgow Warriors to Newcastle Falcons to get some game time under his belt and Huw Jones has been laid low by a knee problem.
Sam Johnson has the number 12 jersey for the moment and has done well in his first two caps, but it will be very interesting to see the centre partnership in France. The like of Pete Horne, Chris Harris, Nick Grigg and Chris Dean are in the mix while Dunbar and Edinburgh’s James Johnstone may yet earn a call-up.
The back-row mix
Before the tournament, not many would have imaged that 22-year-old Jamie Ritchie was going to be the main man in Scotland’s back-row.
The Edinburgh man has been in amazing form recently for club and country though and, if both stay fit (wrap them up in cotton wool please…), he and Josh Strauss will definitely start the next game.
With Ryan Wilson joining the likes of John Barclay, Hamish Watson, Matt Fagerson and Lewis Carmichael on the sidelines, the likes of Rob Harley, Gary Graham, Adam Ashe, John Hardie and the uncapped Luke Crosbie could come into the mix.
So to could four-times capped Magnus Bradbury if he comes through his return to action with Edinburgh this weekend after four months out with a shoulder issue.
Can Blair be the King at 15?
Should Stuart Hogg miss the round three French date then it seems likely that Blair Kinghorn, the 22-year-old who mainly plays full-back for Edinburgh and on the wing for Scotland, will step in at 15.
He is in great form, but is he ready for such a big test?
His club head coach Richard Cockerill certainly thinks so and I would tend to agree with him.
“For us Blair’s a very good attacker and Scotland are blessed to have two very good full-backs. Blair gives good cover on the wing so you can understand why he's in the 23,” Cockerill said.
“When everybody is fit there is clearly strength in depth, but at the moment, Scotland are stretched a bit and that depth is being tested.
“The tournament has been so far so good for Blair. Obviously, he had a great start in the first game [scoring a hat-trick of tries against Italy] and I thought he did pretty well when he came on at the weekend.
“I am pleased for him, he is performing pretty well and it was small margins in that game against Ireland.”
Let’s not overreact to Ireland loss
Ireland beat New Zealand last year, Ireland were hurting after their defeat to England, Ireland are a well-oiled machine.
Yes, Scotland were disappointed to lose their first home Six Nations game in eight and the second half saw the team certainly misfiring, but 40 minutes does not make a team poor overnight.
The key point of the game (well, apart from Stuart Hogg going off…) was just before half-time when Scotland went 20 plus phases on the Irish line and could not score.
If they had, they would have been up at half-time, but it wasn’t to be and that slice of play seemed to reenergise the visitors.
If they can cut out the errors and find their accuracy once again then Scotland can still play a big part in this title race.
There is nothing to be scared of in Paris
France’s first half performance against Wales apart, they have been very poor so far in the Six Nations and in their last game in Paris, the home fans did not seem to get out in their numbers to cheer on their boys.
Scotland half backs Greig Laidlaw and Finn Russell play their domestic rugby out there so will know what to expect while the Edinburgh and Glasgow contingent have won in Toulon and Lyon respectively this term.
Too often away from home in recent years Scotland have gone into their shells, but I think the manner of the defeat to Ireland and the recent raft of injuries to big players will actually have galvanised Gregor Townsend’s men and I believe they can show they are more than just ‘also rans’ in the coming weeks…
