Despite Loss Scotland Have Talent Worth Mentioning
It seems that today Scotland have become a simple speed bump for the Welsh on their merry way to a Grand Slam. A footnote. I suppose after a period of mindless offences and ill-discipline some of Scotland's player deserve to be forgotten. However, in amongst the madness something lovely happened.
The Madness:
After a staunch first half Scotland trotted out, chests puffed out, eyes fixed, a determined blankness on the faces. The ball hung. Dropped. Sinking into No Man's Land someone desperately put out a foot. Cusiter helped the ball into touch.
From here Wales built momentum and used their lineout, stinging pass after pass and hoping to clatter past that ever deepening gain-line. Front foot trudge after front foot trudge they knocked into the Scots, knowing they would score. The ball was shot from left to right and Alex Cuthbert, impressing throughout the game, tore through a week, drifting hit from Laidlaw to score the first try of the day.
Then Scotland were breached again. The reds poured though and the ball was kicked forward. A desperate Nick de Luca assessed his options, came up counting more opportunities for a Welsh score than a sensible Scottish scramble and held out for Jonathan Davies' ankle. His tackle was successful but the incident was nowhere near the ball and the referee had no choice but to send De Luca to the sin-bin.
Then, after Laidlaw scored a penalty, Alex Cuthbert caught another ball on the charge, once Scottish defenders were sucked in, and fixed for the line. Lee Jones drifted but slipped and the second was enough for the rangy winger to feed Leigh Halfpenny who breezed past to score.
Then Wales looked to have broken again. Sanity had all but left the Scottish team and in a moment of reactionary witlessness Rory Lamont came from an offside position to tackle James Hook. Another yellow followed and suddenly Scotland only had thirteen souls scuttling about in front of a belligerent Welsh pack.
Then Halfpenny flashed in to score again from a move originating from a Welsh scrum. 27-6.
The Lovely:
Scotland bit back. They set themselves on a line for the try area and carried like they had meant to all along. Men were drawn and the ball was passed with more zip than before. It landed in De Luca's hands and with a dying pass it was flicked to debutante Stuart Hogg in space. He was through for a score in his first test.
Ok, so the referee Roman Poite did not give it, for his shame, and the pass from De Luca was so poor that it was understandable for a referee to say 'knock-on', but Hogg was there and he was building into the game. What was more, Scotland were showing that they could get to that line.
Laidlaw scored from a cheeky pick and go.
Then the ball fell to Hogg with a line in front of him. He shimmied, jinked, changed angle and then galloped forward between Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies. He passed them like they weren't there. The young full-back was pushed into touch but in one move he showed his considerable promise.
It was a fine debut, and with the part he played in two incidents he was a signifier of a Scottish comeback of sorts. He was robbed of a try and he burned beyond a British Lion. He had declared himself ready for international rugby. Buoyed by the last few minutes Laidlaw himself tried to make something happen, chipping over the last cover and almost getting the bounce.
Scotland have things they need to improve upon. They lost after a Welsh barrage and only broke down their blitz in the last quarter. However with the showing of Laidlaw and particularly Hogg people are a bit more cheery. On top of this both have in front of them a two second rows, a 7 and an 8 playing at the top of their game.
With two weeks off Scotland have time to prepare for a battle against the volatile French. They now know that they can rely on their back-row and that they have a 10 who could maybe make something happen with an enigmatic young full-back calling for ball. Is it time Robinson picked an unpredictable centre as well?
