David Ferguson: Dan Parks set to get No 10 nod but Duncan Weir and Greig Laidlaw also have something to offer
SELECTION has always been cast up as a potential weak spot of Andy Robinson from his days with England where he had a surfeit of talent to try to meld into one successful team, and struggled, through a run of nine wins in 22 Tests.
From the point when the garrulous Brian Moore famously commented that Robinson was a good coach but a poor selector, it was also always going to be an easy tag to hang around his neck as coaches are labelled in the same way players are invariably pigeon-holed. While there were again question marks raised through the World Cup as Robinson switched players about, selection in team sport is never an exact science, so it remains a point of contention.
However, what is clear is that Robinson, along with assistants Gregor Townsend, Graham Steadman and Massimo Cuttitta have a difficult few days to come up with the perfect XV, and indeed 22, to face England in arguably the biggest game in their recent coaching lives.
And, once again, it starts with the No 10 jersey. It is odds-on that Robinson will return to the most experienced option, Dan Parks, simply because he and Parks know what each other expects and understands where the coach wants to take the gameplan. In effect, you know what you get with Parks and that kind of knowledge is always a boon to a coach.
Parks’ kicking game is up there with the best in Test rugby, as a small man among modern rugby’s beasts, his defence needs support and attacking the line and bringing Scottish backs on to the ball at pace will hinge on the amount of confidence he carries into and through the game.
Duncan Weir and Greig Laidlaw are the first choices of Glasgow and Edinburgh supporters, respectively and inevitably, but both have real merit. Weir is the most exciting young stand-off emerging in the Scottish game, with Harry Leonard coming up behind, and is beginning to improve his attacking game to a point where he could conceivably lead the line well at international level.
Laidlaw has a rugby brain like few others in Scotland. He makes few errors, reads where attacks can be most potent, has a box of tricks to alter the direction of attack and possesses a much more creative and accurate boot than many give him credit for.
Is it time to take a chance? England will. Coach Stuart Lancaster is ready to pitch 20-year-old Owen Farrell into the fray after his confident performances with Saracens and his big question appears to be in the centre and who will help guide Farrell through the game. Robinson has experience in Chris Cusiter or Mike Blair at scrum-half, while Sean Lamont, Graeme Morrison, Nick De Luca, Joe Ansbro and Max Evans are all now experienced individuals vying for centre spots, with Evans also a contender for the wing.
So Weir or Laidlaw would have support around them. One senses that Robinson is already reining in his drive for a more expansive style of play as he contemplates the pragmatic option of pairing Parks and Lamont at 10 and 12. But Weir and Laidlaw can kick – bearing in mind Chris Paterson contributed 34 of Scotland’s 82 points in last year’s Six Nations they also need a reliable replacement goalkicker – as well as a more attacking style.
If they go with the experienced Parks, and it’s easy to understand why, then the least the coaches should do is hand Weir or Laidlaw the chance to push their case further off the bench. Both could do with more time at stand-off to develop their game control and knowledge of the role under pressure and at the non-stop, frenetic pace of Test rugby. Both players have something to offer, and could learn hugely from being involved.
Weir is a tempting choice because of the energy he brings to the game, and one would be happy to see him given the opportunity were Laidlaw not there. But Laidlaw can cover both scrum-half and stand-off and not only deserves a chance to come off bench at least, with the way he has gripped Edinburgh as captain this season and led from the front in both the No 9 and 10 jerseys. But, more importantly, the astute Borderer has shown himself to have the ability to make the right decisions to steer a team to victory in the final quarter of matches.
There have been numerous occasions of selections changing and heroes emerging as a tournament progresses, and one feels that Weir and Laidlaw could do that – if given the chance.
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Comments
There are 37 comments to this article
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Dissillusioned Supporter!
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 10:48 AMIt'd be more of a risk not to start Laidlaw. As proved on here, it is the only choice, hopefully Robinson will not let a nation down. I've just started to feel really good with Scottish Rugby in past few months, after years of average performances and poor set-up, please dont destroy a very real potential revival of Scottish rugby. Fair enough, Parks on bench, only as a safety last option tho. Blair or Cusiter add the experience required at this level to help Laidlaw, but to be honest, I think it's the other way round - Laidlaws no fear, winning mentality is what's helped Blair and Edinburgh, and it's now time for him to do it for Scotland!
La Barrière de Senlis
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 01:48 AMApparently, there is a real buzz in Scottish Rugby just now, Murrayfield will be mobbed for the Calcutta Cup (we are used to), and even more than 60,000 tickets sold for the visit of France (2 years go around 40,000). It would be SO EXCITING and ENJOYABLE to see Scotland back at his deserved level! I think some people (me included) critised too much Dan Parks, at a time HE WON narrow games for Glasgow and Scotland. But it is time to move on, I am a big fan of Duncan Weir (better than Jackson in my point of view), but Laidlaw is clearly the man in form and is already 26, Edinburgh are in the QF of the HC, TIME to build for the next WC! Scotland need EXCITING games to bring back the supporters, as a lot of comments before me, the crowd would prefer to see TRIES and lose narrowly, than a narrow gameplan and lose narrowly as in the last WC. I feel so sorry for K.Brown...
ericaallen
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 01:42 AMThere are times when those in charge MUST listen to the public. Just ask Maggie Thatcher, Gordon Brown, Frank Hadden, etc etc. It's no good being sorry after the event. All these three and all the others who don't listen to the public suffered from being stubborn. Please Andy Robinson, do not make the same mistake. This is the biggest story (and most commented on) for years in the Scotsman, and most of the comments here are from the heart. From people who care about Scottish Rugby. Andy has won the support of the Scottish public so far (but then Hadden also had his honeymoon period and he blew it!) This would be Andy Robinson's "Poll Tax" if he picked Dan Parks. Just what does Greig Laidlaw have to do to get picked? Edinburgh are scoring tries, Laidlaw can control the game from either 9 or 10. He is a class act. He is the future - Parks is the past. This is the bottom line. Hopefully this is a bluff but David Ferguson is usually right when he predicts something. This leads me on to something else. Can whoever is leaking this info from inside the SRU please stop now! It has been refreshing that Andy Robinson has released his team at press conferences. Speculation is fine but let's not have leaks and get back to giving nothing away until the team announcement. Same with embargoes which mean nothing. The BBC, ITV and some of the national dailies have broken embargoes this year a lot and it has to stop.
DocHoliday
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 09:10 PMSpluttering into my beer here! Now is the time to build for the future. Laidlaw is the form player of the moment, and watching Edinburgh under his direction on Sunday restored a lot of my lost faith in Scottish rugby; well worked tries scored by backs(we remember them don't we?) I'm just hoping this is some clumsy attempt to wrong foot the English in the press. Let the right man do that on the pitch on Saturday.
GTM
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 03:50 PMShould be 2 or 3 scrum halves of course. Lamont at 12? Maybe AR wants to bash it up the middle all day aviva premiership style. As we saw in HC that really works well. S Lamont on the wing please.
GTM
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 03:45 PMWe have 23 scrum-halves who can play a bit and we are reasonably strong there. No RWC issues at that position. So why would you want to add Laidlaw to the scrum-halves we already have. He is a No 10 that we have been yearning for for years. If AR and Townsend decide on Parks then England will win by about same score as they did in WC. Progress?
abselkirk
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 03:25 PMParks and Lamont are the safe option in as much as you can safely say that if they play we will not score any tries. Edinburgh have scored 17 tries in 6 Heineken cup games so please pick the Edinburgh halfbacks. Then go the whole way and play a couple of ball players outside them, people who understand the word "pass". My choice would be DeLuca and Ansboro if fit. Remember DeLucas half break and pass to Ansboro for a try in the pre-world cup match. A few more of those would not go amiss.
Fly
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 03:20 PMJust as supportive of the other Laidlaw supporters here. He's a class rugby player. I presume DF is getting his information from inside the camp and watching training sessions. The priority is planning for the next WC, not trying to win this 6N (which we wouldn't with Parks anyway!) However, I do think experience is needed and that Parks would be best on the bench. What do I think will happen - AR will start with Parks and Laidlaw on the bench. I don't want it but I see it happening.
Sevendirtywords
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 03:11 PMMaybe Robo's bluffing? Everyone knows what you get with Parks so maybe best that England think he'll start.
Gordieboy78
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 02:43 PMIt hardly needs to be said (typed), but this is a desparately disappointing decision if true. Laidlaw is streets ahead of the other '10' candidates at the moment; I would have no objection to Parks being on the bench as his game intelligence and tactical kicking can be immensely useful in closing out a game, but in no sense should he be starting. If nothing else, picking Parks telegraphs our intentions before the game has begun - yes we know what we are going to get from him, but unfortunately so does everyone else! As someone else has posted this really is a 'lose-lose' because we'll either lose the game, or bore England into submission with another scoreline divisible by three, and persist with Parks throughout the remainder of the tournament on the basis of making a winning start. I want to celebrate TRIES at Murrayfield, Andy, and decent rugby... not winning by default after the opposition have dozed off. Sort it out.
bpm42
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 02:28 PMDid Andy Robinson gameplan include winning only 2 games out of 10?. You know what you get with parks, a loss 80% of the time, "..simply because he and Parks know what each other expects and understands where the coach wants to take the gameplan. In effect, you know what you get with Parks and that kind of knowledge is always a boon to a coach." Does anyone know how to start an online petition?
Doc Martin
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 02:27 PMI am with everyone here. If this is true, i will be mightly pi$$ed off! Robinson is going back to his old habits something he said he had learned form... This will be his last 6N. I said 18 mths ago that under AR that the Scotland Squad was not progressing, and if that is the case, we are regressing. A sign that he is unwilling to make the difficult calls is the fact Townsend is still there. Instead of sacking him, he gets someone into coach the the coach...... for me that is just a waste of a salary and resources, especially when we know they are so few. You had an Edinburgh team with Laidlaw at the helm, scoring tries for fun in HC...... arghh!
countrycousin
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 02:17 PMI like Dan Parks, he has served Scotland well in the past, but it is time that we moved on to a younger generation. Duncan Weir has shown great promise, but has remained static this season - or even went slightly backwards. Only ONE player has shown the true ability to move the ball in any direction and that is Greig LAIDLAW. For him not to start V England would be a slap in the face, not only to 'wee Greig' but to the Rugby community in Scotland. Laidlaw has great hands, a trusty boot, a brilliant rugby brain - and he can tackle. He is the IN-FORM player at the moment. Not Starting LAIDLAW would be a retrograde step. Starting 'Dan the Man' would be like committing suicide.
number withheld
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 02:06 PMtotally agree with the concensus - there is nothing to be gained by parks playing - he's been a good servant but his time has passed. It lose lose really if he starts cos he aint gonna be at the next world cup and if we do play well against eng and win, probably by kicking goals then we'll end up with the same team for the rest of the championship. my worry is that robinson has learned from his england days where he chucked in youngsters into a game and theyve suffered because of it - mathew tait springs to mind and also the gloucester centre whoe started once played ok then was droppped from the squad entirely. There is nothing to lose by playnig laidlaw i think, only the game and to be honest i dont think robinson could be blamed by anyone if he played laidlaw against england, and we didnt win as at least he's played the in-form man.
glengarry
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 02:05 PMI heard Andy Robinson saying this week that it's time this Scotland team started to deliver results and found myself shouting at the radio 'It's time for you Andy Robinson to start delivering results by picking the players who will deliver you those results'. I will be devestated if Greig Laidlaw doesn't start at Stand Off for the England game, it's a no brainer. It's so exciting watching Edinburgh play this season and scoring great tries accross the team. Please can we get some tries to celebrate for Scotland at Murrayfield.
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