大象传媒

Please, there's nothing less appealing than Saxon sour grapes and just because you've been taking a pasting for every 'performance' you've put on since boring your way to the last world cup doesn't mean you should try to push pass the criticism to the Scotland team. The same goes for the even more embarrassed Irish and Welsh commentators.

Please, there's nothing less appealing than Saxon sour grapes and just because you've been taking a pasting for every 'performance' you've put on since boring your way to the last world cup doesn't mean you should try to push pass the criticism to the Scotland team. The same goes for the even more embarrassed comments escaping from despondent Irish and Welsh commentators. Here is some objective realism from an informed and impartial Kiwi:
Scottish rugby in terms of depth is undoubtedly weak, duh.
However the Scotland first xv is surprisingly strong and importantly Frank Hadden is a very good coach e.g. not being a fool about our game with them. This has somehow been missed or ignored by four other northern hemisphere teams more concerned with their own declining quality, partly because at no point in the last few years have Scotland had more than half of all their best players available (even though they have recorded a victory over every one of the other 5 nations in the last two years), that is until now ...so who am I talking about because it seems clear none of you know:
Scotland have severely beefed up right across the pack and possess a world class player, captain and leader in Jason White, supported manfully by the likes of the talented Ally Hogg, Nathan Hines and the highly impressive specimen that is Jim Hamilton. Questions do remain over the front three.
They have the best scrum half of the home nations in Mike Blair, with Chris Cusiter an excellent back up.
Dan Parks at fly, a player we know all about, can field kick to a coin; his traditional weaknesses have been his decision making and size, yet in recent years he has progressed more than anyone in these departments and sure enough imposed himself in both ways in difficult conditions in the Italy game 鈥� in play, the best player on the day.
Then we come to Rob Dewey 鈥� a quick and straight runner, a thundering giant of a battering ram, all the time improving in terms of technique.
Now whilst Scotland may not have forced the expansive game against Italy, in the conditions and given the nature of the match they were ABSOLUTELY CORRECT to do so: this was a game played in appalling weather at St. Et. where Scotland always perform poorly, it was a game Italy had worked towards for two years (just look at their press coverage, just look at their faces during the game and the final whistle, witness just how dirty/clever they started to get when things were going wrong), refereed by man who has shown again and again that he truly dislikes Scotland - to be careful in this game that was always going to be a battle, to avoid handling errors and play territory was essential (that鈥檚 not to take anything away from any team that can take the Italians on up front and win). HOWEVER in Simon Webster, Sean Lamont, Chris Paterson and Rory Lamont - they have four world class strike runners, that's at least three more than England (the one in best form, fullback R.L., was unfortunately injured at the beginning of the Italy game but has recovered for Argentina); moreover each one of them can seriously tackle. Factor in Patterson's surgical place kicking and you get a team with an enormous amount of potential.
Quite frankly in Argentina v Scotland you have the two most underrated sides in world rugby going head to head.
What then of the opponents waiting in the semis? South Africa - a very very good side and yet on their showings thus far eminently beatable. Indeed, Scotland in only their second warm up game of the season (after beating Ireland) caused problems and scored points against this S.A. side - already reaching the top of their fitness curve; more interestingly their defence was strong and untroubled apart from a bizarre self-inflicted show of nerves in a seven minute period towards the beginning of the game - and therein lies the crux of the matter for Scotland. Truth is that that side of the draw is wide open BUT ultimately the All Blacks will enjoy thrashing one of those three sides in the final, everything's relative after all................................. P.S. apart from England of course, who remain, despite their inspired performance against Tonga, complete and utter turd. I wishe it were otherwise but I give them zero chance against Australia, they simply have nothing to offer on any part of the pitch. If I were British I'd be getting behind Scotland because like it or not they're all you've got!