Italian job: Simon Danielli scores against Italy last year. Can he do it again? Pic: © Colin Macdonald
First of all I would like to offer my deepest sympathies and heart-felt support to Thom Evans following his horrific neck injury sustained in Scotland’s defeat to Wales. I think I speak for all rugby fans throughout the globe when I say, I hope he makes a typically speedy recovery and that we can see his lightning pace dazzling defences in the not too distant future.
Two weeks have past and my nails are just about showing signs of recovery after Scotland grasped defeat form the jaws of victory in Cardiff. I will be back on Saturday at around 1.15 for live Scottish text commentary of Scotland’s match in the Stadio Flaminio on www.stv.tv/rugby. Kick off is at 1.30pm
But let's just revisit Cardiff for a moment. What a game! The defensive coaches must have been tearing their hair out, perhaps Graham Steadman a tad more than Shaun Edwards who has clearly had a lifetime of broken tackles to worry about. But it lead to an all-time classic encounter that will go down in rugby folklore. The advert for the game of rugby was immense, as thrilling as the introduction of ski-cross to the Winter Olympics. But unfortunately, after having led for so long, the courageous Scottish performance crashed in mid-air on the final roller with the winner’s enclosure in sight. A Scottish victory would have been one of the finest in the modern era against a team including no less than eleven 2009 Lions, but it wasn’t to be.
The synopsis reads like the rough workings of Rudyard Kipling; if Scott Lawson hadn’t needlessly been sin binned, if Sean Lamont hadn’t delivered a forward pass for Kelly Brown, if the backline hadn’t been decimated by injury, if 5’7” Shane Williams hadn’t managed to out-leap 6’2” Rory Lamont and 6’4” Kelly Brown, if they had just kicked the ball out of play from the final restart - but all that would have taken away from an incredible spectacle and an incredible performance.
Scotland travel to Rome this week to play in the shadow of the Coliseum and a brutal history. Ridley Scott’s epic conception Gladiator confirms that things haven’t changed as much as you would think from the days of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus and the heroic Roman warriors.
“Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is that not why you are here?”
Yes, there were imperfections; yes, I should be sitting here talking about Scotland’s magnificent victory in Cardiff; yes, it was heartbreaking, but boy were we entertained? That is rugby and the events of two Saturdays ago just confirmed why we love this game so much.
How much do Chris Cusiter’s men have left in the tank? There’s no denying a defeat like that is absolutely heart-wrenching, but Andy Robinson will be sure to rally the troops for Saturday’s battle in Rome. Robinson is a consummate professional - he will take what was good in Wales (and there was plenty) and encourage more of the same while ironing out the infractions that cost them the victory. The Stadio Flaminio is not an easy place to play rugby - just ask Martin Johnson - and if all the components don’t come together at the right times Scotland will not win.
The Azzurri are typically rugged, passionate terriers that stop at nothing in the sight of victory. Scotland must ensure that their discipline is good and with a solid base of clean ball in tandem with Dan Parks replicating his immaculate display in Cardiff they should be on their way to their first victory in this year’s RBS Six Nations.
The lineout has been excellent thus far (Scotland have only lost one of 20 lineouts in their opening two matches), but the scrum has creaked a touch and on Saturday Jacobsen, Ford and Murray face a trio who pride themselves on their scrummaging. Perugini, Ghiraldini and the bearded Castrogiovanni are one of the best units in the business and the Scots boys will really need to front up against them in order to set a platform for the backs to expand the game and allow the open, free-flowing style that the back-row Killer Bs thrive on.
Scotland benefited in Cardiff from the continuity of having familiar faces from numbers 6-10. The Glasgow connection in the backrow to Cusiter and Parks was a dominant force and Andy Robinson will hope that his reinvigorated fly half can control the game with his deadly accurate boot and new found running game.
Although it is sadly enforced, Scotland have a new back three that can be as deadly as their predecessors. There is good bulk to Sean Lamont, Hugo Southwell and Simon Danielli and all three will carry the ball for yards all day. Southwell’s monstrous left boot should see off any Italian forays into the Scotland 22” and all three offer vast experience at this level with a total of 108 caps between them - Hugo Southwell and Chris Cusiter will both win their 50th caps on Saturday.
It is bound to be close - in the Six Nations, Scotland and Italy have met ten times. Scotland have won six to Italy’s four, but the points difference over those ten matches reads Scotland 213 - 196 Italy. There won’t be a runaway victory and whoever takes the three points will know that they have been well earned.
Elsewhere, Wales will look to derail the French as Marc Lievrement’s side maintain their quest for a Grand Slam. Wales were poor two weeks ago and the same level of performance will see them steamrollered by the ruthless French. Every time Les Bleus play, there are optimistic murmurs of “oh, but which French side will turn up” and French inconsistencies could lead to Wales taking a big scalp. The atmosphere on Friday night at the Millennium stadium will be absolutely buzzing and with both sides playing an attractive brand of rugby, I believe a try-fest could be on the cards.
Ireland will be desperate to put their Parisian defeat behind them, but life in London will not be any more hospitable. England are still chasing a Grand Slam and this game will be a real test of Martin Johnson’s credentials. It will be close, but you don’t hold this Irish side down for long. If the recalled Jonathan Sexton plays the game he can, I think the hostelries of London had better order a few more barrels of the black stuff.
Whatever happens it promises to be an enthralling weekend of rugby. I would say, more of the same, please, but I don’t think my heart can take another defeat like the last one.
