Bill Lothian: Barclay and Godman must contain Oz star Matt if Scotland are to cause upset and win Giteau is a quality player and I'm not surprised he's been nominated as player of the year

Published on Friday 20 November 2009 10:14

"GET GITEAU" is the battle-cry Scotland's rugby side will take with them into a potentially memorable Autumn Test with Australia at Murrayfield tomorrow.

The Aussie stand off is one of three top contenders for the IRB World Player of the Year and looms large as the major threat to Scots hopes.

Scotland are showing levels of optimism not usually associated with a side that has gone 27 years and 16 meetings without a win over the Wallabies – based largely on last week's success against world No.9-ranked Fiji.

But, from within the camp, too, has come an agreeable level of realism to provide some balance. What's more it has been expressed by arguably the two key performers, with John Barclay and Phil Godman likely to be most instrumental in containing high-flying stand off Matt Giteau, ranked behind only Irish centre Brian O'Driscoll and Springbok scrum half Fourie du Preez by bookies in the annual race to become globally recognised as a player without peer.

Godman, who shares the same No.10 shirt said: "I rate Giteau alongside New Zealand's Dan Carter as the best around and welcome this chance to match up as well as help our team win.

But it is open-side flanker Barclay who is tasked with getting off the side of scrums and line-out tails to inhibit play making.

And Barclay, pictured below right, acknowledged the task he faces, saying: "You can't give Giteau too much space.

"As a team we try to get off the line and pressurise – especially someone like him who plays flat, likes to run the line and take a step back inside. If you switch off for one second he is probably going to see an opening.

"It is about collectively being switched on throughout, because looking at the way he plays and the last few games he has played has shown how he threatens.

"Giteau is a quality player who, if he sees a gap, is going to try to go for it and I'm not surprised he's been nominated as player of the year."

Five of Giteau's 76 Test appearances have come against Scotland during which he has garnered 30 points from two tries, seven conversions and two penalties.

More revealingly, stand off will be the third position in which he has started against the Scots following on from inside centre and, most recently, scrum half – making him highly versatile as well as lavishly skilled.

This is not lost on Barclay, who added: "He's obviously been around a while and we can expect him to provide an important link between his back line and the back row. Especially with a (relatively new) law requiring some players to keep five metres back at scrums it is even more important all of us are linking in properly."

Godman insists: "I'll be speaking with John during the game.

"Although as a stand off I'm more likely to be marking their No. 12 (inside centre) someone like Giteau will be challenging me from stand off.

"Watching Australia against England I noted Jonny Wilkinson having to put in a couple of really great tackles on Giteau from stand off and it's important John Barclay and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to looking out for him.

"If you are aware throughout the team of guys like him then there's less chance of buying the dummies. First and foremost, though, we have got to bring the big runners like (Rocky) Elsom and (Wycliff) Palu down.

"It's important to get good hits on them so that Australia don't get go-forward ball.

"The problem will be if Australia start making ground because not only do our defenders then have to start working their backsides off to get back in line but the likes of Giteau and (Quade) Cooper start finding holes and picking guys off."

According to Godman realignment was a problem which cost Scotland further points in the 23-10 defeat of Fiji last week.

"Individually and overall I was pleased with last week's performance and welcome the chance to show where both myself and the team are at against Australia.

"If there was disappointment attached to last week's game it was failure to kick on after scoring our second try and really open Fiji up.

"A few simple errors hampered us and guys didn't work hard enough to get back out in the line to cause problems, especially with us dominating the scrum.

"This weekend, to have any chance, we must take every possibility of a try, penalty or drop goal. One bonus of the Fiji win was that we didn't show our full hand.

"We've still got a few things up our sleeve but the main point is we will throw everything at Australia.

"If we leave no stone unturned, then we have the game to beat them. I believe that everyone knows it and that this will be a cracking game.

"But that will only happen if we come off the pitch feeling we have given it everything."

One statistic Scotland can take comfort from is the fact that they have shown the ability to score tries against Australia.

In the last four competitive meetings between these sides, Scotland have notched six touchdowns, albeit in a losing cause but in a way that stands comparison with other top nations.

Only France have conceded as many tries against the Scots in the same period while the return against the others is revealing.

Against South Africa the Scots have scored four tries from four meetings.

Against Wales, the Scots have scored three, against England two and one apiece against Ireland and New Zealand.

Setting aside his emotional "give it all" rallying call, Godman called for cool heads as well as fire in bellies.

He said: "We really have to play smart and, to have a chance of beating Australia, we will have to score tries.

"To do that we have to be less cautious than we were in the second half against Fiji and play without the errors."

The upside, however, is that, as well as keeping their powder dry, the Scots shed a bucketload of rust and, if they are fresh, what price that Australia might just begin to show the debilitating effects of a fourth- successive weekend international assignment?

And there could be an added price to be paid for attaching a fixture with New Zealand to the start of their European sojourn.