Six Nations: Andy Robinson has a dilemma as Ruaridh Jackson makes return to fold
Andy Robinson will delay naming his team. Picture: Getty
SCOTLAND are expected to shuffle the back division again for the visit of France to Murrayfield on Sunday.
The French team will be announced today but Scotland head coach Andy Robinson is holding off for another 24 hours before confirming his line-up as he seeks a first win in the RBS Six Nations Championship since last year’s defeat of Italy.
With Max Evans continuing his rehab on the ankle injury suffered against Wales in the Millennium Stadium, Robinson is expected to start with the back three formation that he was forced into when Evans went off after 15 minutes. That means a Test start for 19-year-old Stuart Hogg, from Hawick, who has impressed at full-back and centre for Glasgow this season. He injected a threat to Scotland’s attack in Cardiff, notably in the second half when the game was opening up and he was denied a debut try only by the self-recognised error of French referee Romain Poite.
With Hogg at full-back and Lee Jones and Rory Lamont on the wings, Robinson could go further and shake-up his midfield. Edinburgh centre Matt Scott is the choice of many who have watched the youngster emerge as an inside centre who can offer a second stand-off presence and play the game with power and pace. He is definitely in the sights of the Scotland coaches, but he is not expected to be thrown a Test debut yet, with Robinson reluctant to make wholesale changes and send fresh combinations out against a French side confident of retaining the Six Nations crown.
The last time the coach sent out the same back line in two consecutive Tests was at the start of last year’s Six Nations, with changes made, either through injury or by design, in each of the 11 internationals since.
Yet, there are now signs of a more threatening group coming together with the addition of Hogg and Greig Laidlaw at stand-off.
The versatile Edinburgh half-back showed enough in his first Test start to earn another run-out in the No 10 jersey, which leaves a dilemma for Robinson over whether to restore Ruaridh Jackson, the fit-again Glasgow stand-off, to the matchday squad.
Jackson, who re-joined the training squad this week, was Robinson’s first-choice stand-off in the World Cup and in the planning for the Six Nations, only for the 24-year-old to be dogged by the hamstring injury he suffered in the opening minutes of the World Cup match with England. Laidlaw will start against France, but Robinson has to decide whether to keep Duncan Weir as the bench cover, with Weir still to make his Test debut, or promote Jackson after two club matches and continue his return with a second-half cameo on Sunday.
Mike Blair has also been maintaining his usual rivalry with Chris Cusiter, the Glasgow scrum-half, but he appears likely to continue on the bench as Robinson seeks to give Cusiter time to regain top form. The pack will have a familiar ring to it, however. Geoff Cross will retain the tighthead prop’s jersey knowing that he has another opportunity to prove his value before Euan Murray becomes available for the remaining two games.
Lock Jim Hamilton sat out training yesterday as he recovered from Gloucester’s derby win over Bath on Sunday, and a throat infection, while two other forwards in action at the weekend, Richie Vernon (ankle) and Scott Lawson (dead leg), received treatment from the Scotland medical team. Glasgow prop Ed Kalman was back in training, however, having recovered from neck pain suffered in his Test debut against Wales and so will resume as bench cover for both sides of the scrum in what is expected to be the Scottish forwards’ most intense set-piece examination of the championship.
Scotland’s last victory under Robinson was against Georgia in the World Cup, but he has secured just two wins in the last 12 Six Nations games. Having lifted Scotland to a record high of sixth in the IRB World Rankings in 2010, he only narrowly avoided taking the side to 12th for the first time on Sunday when England came from behind to beat Italy in Rome.
France at home will be another great test of his side’s ability to perform under pressure, but as he digests Philippe Saint-Andre’s line-up today, Robinson’s thoughts will be on whether his latest selection under pressure will produce a winning formula.
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Comments
There are 34 comments to this article
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Sevendirtywords
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 10:25 AMDonaldinho ....... he only picks them under duress? Really? If you want an example of a coach picking form players under duress, think Hadden and the Evans brothers. Contrary to popular belief Robinson has actually been quite quick to bring in younger players into his squads, albeit measured (cautious) about how quickly he brings them into the team. His 6N squad has included Denton, Hogg and Weir from the off whilst 22-year old Richie Gray now has 16 caps (all under Robinson). The only young player that he is, arguably, overlooking is Matt Scott but I would wager that he'll feature before the end of the 6N as well. Not because of duress but because Robinson has a view of when and where the younger players should be introduced.
Sevendirtywords
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 10:10 AMSuggestion from those "in the know" is that the majority of the comments here have been driven by false reporting. Apparently, Blair and Laidlaw start, Weir and Cusiter on the bench, Hogg starts at 15 with Rory Lamont on the Wing........... now wait for the howls of protest when people find out that Morrison starts at 12!
wolfcrag
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:42 PMLet's agree, at the moment, we might just be punching well above our weight, along with the Italians, at the moment. The two pro sides, along side our club and youth development system, are inferior to our international competition, so we need a radical overhaul of the current system to remain competitive. my belief is that the District teams are required to really compete in the B&I Cup, so choose 3 from the following , a South, Caledonia, Edinburgh, Exiles and or Glasgow select, that's 100 plus players, because our club sides are not good enough, unless I have missed something, on looking at the last two years results...... or how about this ? Select the three top Premier 1 clubs, draught the best professional players in, not involved in the Rabo 12 or Heineken competitions, resource them properly and allow them to augment these teams to ensure they win at this level. It may just improve on where we are just now.
Donaldinho
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:26 PMSenior and senior... You missed the point. He's not picking weir, laidlaw, Hogg et al unless under duress. We do have a ltd pool but he still doesnt pick them. Hence bad selector. (His tactics are also crap). He certainly knew how to turn a winning team into a losing one! Not an international head coach.
ben doonagan
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 07:36 PMThere's no dilemma........... if Robbo picks players based on current form and rugby ability..........Laidlaw @Weir should be certainties...........if not theres something more sinister going on with selections
SeniorandSenior
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 07:31 PMWho says Robinson is a bad selector? Brian Moore, ex England hooker and Daily Telegraph columnist (very good read, too, I might add). It's not easy to turn a losing team into a winning one, this Scotland team plays under the weight of expectation that the next game is going to be the one where they turn the corner, score some tries, beat someone. As soon as they do beat someone the expectation is that they'll do it again, but the reality is that we've got young Players coming into a losing team under pressure, and because we only have 2 pro teams we can't expose as many players to professional rugby as fast as other nations - we're resting all our expectation on guys like Duncan Weir and Matt Scott who are in their first or second season as pros. Even Grieg Laidlaw has only had one pro season as a stand off. That's the reality. Andy Robinson can't do much about that.
Auld Reekie
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 04:33 PM#24..#26..... think Hutton was playing pro rugby most of last year in Perth [OZ]...for one of the teams associated to Western Force
shrek4
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 04:21 PMJackson has been fine for scotland, but there are form players in the running for no10 who in my opinion are better. Hope we stick with Laidlaw and Weir for now. Would like to see Blair on from start and agree that cusiter hasn't been on the best of form. Lawson also deserves a look in. I'd prefer to see Lamont coming off the wings in attack but that means a change to 12 which I don't think AR will make.
Sevendirtywords
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 04:17 PMAs for Rory Hutton. He certainly looked like he had a lot of talent in that Cardiff game - but it's easy to overlook that other aspects of his game were lacking. He certainly didn't get enough game time to prove himself at ER when the likes of D Blair and WCP were achieving very little HOWEVER, he has done nothing since to suggest that any great mistake has been made.
Sevendirtywords
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 04:11 PMInteresting how many Jackson haters there when the guy has barely put a foot wrong in his Scotland appearances and didn't look out of place at International level at all. I do sometimes wonder why he looks a better player for Scotland than he does for Glasgow .......... and I usually come back to the same answer - Lineen, a poor coach who has underachieved year after year with a good group of players.
artydodger
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 02:43 PMWell it took a while, but the Hutton campaign is off & running again! Agreed he is a gifted runner, but if his 'all round' game was so good, why is he plying his trade for a Prem B team & not snapped up by a Pro side ex Scotland? Life is what you make it, & 1 swallow doesn't make a summer....so in this case...a days oot oh Hawick would not be wasted. Insetad of lamenting the guy, maybe you 2 should be encorouginh him to go forth & prove the SRU wrong!
Goongoozler
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:55 PMJackson has never lived up to all the media hype .will be lucky to get on pitch for Warriors soon let alone Scotland.....shouldn't be figuering this far up in Scottish rugby judged on his limited ability
CraigLindsay9
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:33 PMWhy is it that we are ruling out Rory Lawson at Scrum Half? He's been in great form for Gloucester this season and he's been producing consistant performances for Scotland, when called upon. Robinson must think highly enough of him if he was prepared to give him the captaincy on more than one occasion. Anybody got any ideas?
Robin Purdie
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:32 PM#18 At what point do you think Brown would leave the English champions, and probabluy the most progressive team in th UK, to play in that team??!!
jockybadger
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:09 PMRolypoly - I couldn't agree more, I was at that Cardiff game & indeed "that is that a running stand off should do" the treatment of Rory Hutton has been lamentable, especially when you consider the 10s Scotland have employed (Parks & Godman)
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