They say lightning doesn’t strike twice. My first Six Nations weekend’s successful predictions were not replicated due to a disallowed last minute try at Murrayfield. My old playing colleague, Jeff Probyn, dredged up in his media column the ‘non-try’ by Tony Stanger which won the Grand Slam for Scotland in the infamous ‘Grudge’ match as if this made it all square. A bit like saying that David Campese’s deliberate knock on in the World Cup Final means that we won after all, well we did not and Australia were rightful 1991 Champions. Sport is a wonderful mix of flawed genius and occasional injustices.
A rather tepid 6N second round was blighted by criticism of the referees, some justified. What I cannot abide is the interminable chat between refs and front rows and the sheer boredom that ensues – I saw a statistic that 18 minutes of the Wales match was spent waiting for scrums to set. Really simple, tell them what to do and if they protest march them back ten yards and then another ten. They will soon learn. It near destroyed the atmosphere at Twickenham last weekend just when we were trying to restore some passion and emotion into the mix.
Instead we had to absorb a match in which England failed to get their midfield going yet again. Ford has to square up and get the ball through the hands quicker or else the centres have no chance. As a result both are in danger of being replaced – it is typical of a decade of under appreciation of what it takes to operate through the middle of the field – Wayne Smith, where are you when we need you? I have felt particularly sorry for Fraser Dingwall who has literally not touched the ball in anger for two matches – and having waited all that time. So, two wins and no shots fired really.
Make no mistake, if we do the job in Scotland then no one will care about previous underperformances and then the Irish match up at Twickenham will assume huge proportions for this new team trying to build an identity. A blitz defence against this Scotland backline, probably the most dangerous in the Championship will be a fascinating test for the new coach Felix Jones. I would prefer a fast drift – centres will know what I mean – because it keeps you in the game and we may need the extra tacklers.
I played 5 times up at Murrayfield – won 3,lost 2 – and every game was a battlefield. No love lost on and sometimes off the pitch. As the years pass, and particularly the memory of that scarring defeat in 1990, depriving us of a Grand Slam and instead delivering one to David Sole’s Scotland in one of the truly great matches, what I do know is that this kind of occasion is why players pull on the shirt. The thrill, the agony, the ecstasy, the confrontation and test of skills under pressure. In this fixture too a national conflict of sorts.
If England can explore the limits of their ability, they can surely win. This has been beyond them so far under Borthwick with their ability to ‘find a way to win’ being the recurring refrain. Oh, Flower of Scotland, beware the English Rose, it could just be our moment to go homeward with the Calcutta Cup rather than tae think again.
