Practice pays off as Ruaridh Jackson discovers his kicking touch

Published on Thursday 17 March 2011 18:20

REGARDLESS of whether Scotland win, lose or draw against Italy at Murrayfield tomorrow, there will be no escape for Andy Robinson and his team from the fact that this has been a hugely-disappointing Six Nations campaign.

There have, however, been a few silver linings glistening in those dark clouds created by a lack of scrummaging authority, an infuriatingly blunt attack, and a defence which has proven shockingly brittle at times.

With one eye on the World Cup later this year, Robinson will be deeply concerned that he is no closer to knowing what his best option is in certain key positions (particularly at tight-head prop) but, in other areas, he will be encouraged that he now has greater strength in depth than any other Scottish coach has enjoyed in the professional era.

This was always going to be a big tournament for Richie Gray, and he hasn't disappointed - registering some magnificent performances which should surely have resulted in his name being one of the 12 which appeared on a shortlist for player of the championship earlier this week.

Meanwhile, with Johnnie Beattie still not back to his devastating best after shoulder surgery during the summer and John Barclay struggling to produce his best form, Kelly Brown - previously the least heralded of the Killer Bs triumvirate - has become a totem for his team-mates in the Scottish back-row.

Behind the scrum, Chris Paterson once again confounded those who have written him off as too lightweight and too slow to be truly effective at the highest level with a mighty contribution to Scotland's vastly improved performance against England last weekend.

And the Sean Lamont experiment at inside centre may not have added much in terms of attacking guile but it has been a qualified success in that we now know that Graeme Morrison is not the only target man available for selection in midfield.

But perhaps the most significant positive outcome of this tournament so far has been that Scotland's calamitous performance against Wales afforded Robinson the opportunity to give Ruaridh Jackson a run in the starting team earlier than he otherwise would.

With Phil Godman in a frantic race against time to be fully match fit by the time the World Cup kicks-off at the start of September and Paterson still regarded as nothing more than a capable deputy in this most crucial of positions, Robinson's options at stand-off were severely limited at the start of 2011.

Now, five and a half months before the World Cup begins, he already has a credible alternative to Dan Parks for the number ten jersey.

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This weekend Jackson will make his third consecutive start for Scotland and the 23-year-old Aberdonian is clearly beginning to feel at home in his role as director of operations for Scotland's gameplan.

"In every game I'm trying to pick up as much as possible in terms of game management and so on, because those are obviously the most important things for me to be doing as a ten," he says.

"The Ireland game was a big learning curve for me and I think I managed to put a bit of what I found out in that game into practice against England. I just need to keep progressing like that."

While Jackson may have been guilty of playing too much rugby in the wrong areas of the pitch and not mixing up his team's gameplan enough against Ireland, his performance against England was far more accomplished and even earned praise from no less a player than Jonny Wilkinson.

"Someone like that saying kind words about me is obviously going to go down well. He's an absolute legend of the game already and he's still got a number of years left in his career, so it's a nice feeling," said Jackson.

"I definitely still had the nerves going (at the start of the England game] but having the backing of being given another start and knowing I have the confidence of the guys around me helps. It's about settling in and getting used to the pace of the game - and I definitely felt a bit more comfortable out there."

While Scotland's defensive efforts against England were rightfully praised this week, Jackson's ability to keep his team going forward on those rare occasions when they were in possession was also crucial to this match being such a tight contest.

This is clearly a source of considerable satisfaction to Jackson, who has received plenty of credit during his short career for attacking flair but has not yet made the same sort of compelling case for his kicking game and tactical acumen.

"I proved at the weekend that I can hit these kicks as well. That is something I have been working pretty hard on with Duncan Hodge all season. I don't want to become pinpointed as a certain type of player," he says.

The inherent concern about working so hard at his kicking game is that Jackson may lose something elsewhere. His natural inclination to attack the line is what set him apart when he burst onto the scene with a magical display against Bath in the Heineken Cup back in December 2008 and supporters will be glad to hear that he still regards this as the key strength in his game.

"It is very important. If I can stamp my style of game on to the Scotland team as much as possible then I will be doing what I have been picked for," he says.

"At international level, the pace of the game is much higher and the time you have on the ball is much less but I just can't shirk any responsibilities there. If I get hit after the ball so be it. I'll just need to get up, brush myself down, and go for it again."

That is a frame of mind which should serve him well in the years ahead. Being a Scottish stand-off is never an easy ride.