Six Nations: Spirit of adventure the key for much-changed Scots

Published on Friday 25 February 2011 13:09

SCOTLAND face Ireland in tomorrow's RBS Six Nations Championship knowing that last year's win in Croke Park was a rarity, but also believing that the bold changes made to their team this week have the potential to instil it with a new sense of hope.

Every team selection is about making the most of resources and Scotland's re-shaping this week stems from the same age-old premise, and is designed to help the side bounce back from opening defeats to France and Wales and claim a first championship win at home to Ireland since 2001.

Injuries have forced Scotland to unleash a new pivotal core, the 8-9-10-12 axis of Johnnie Beattie, Mike Blair, Ruaridh Jackson and Sean Lamont. They have never played together at this level, with Jackson making his first Test start and Lamont his first appearance at inside centre. All but the Glasgow stand-off are fairly experienced but it will still inject a nervous excitement into the terrific Six Nations atmosphere of a near-capacity Murrayfield.

We will come back to them in a minute because any assessment of where Scotland can pick up from a display against Wales so disjointed that it was a surprise to see the players find the tunnel at the finish, will start not in the midfield but with the industry, aggression and accuracy in the boiler-house of the team - the front five.

Everything will come from the props, hooker and locks tomorrow - the platforms for attack, confidence, energy, momentum. Some scrummaging experts insist that tighthead Moray Low will be better than Euan Murray on account of his technique, where he works from inside to out to isolate the loosehead prop - Cian Healy this time - as opposed to Murray's out-to-in method, which has struggled this year.

Alastair Kellock, then pack leader and now captain, led a superior lineout against Ireland last year, and while he expects a backlash led by the indefatigable Paul O'Connell, Ireland still have fewer options than Scotland due to a smaller back five.

Six Nations in full

• Spirit of adventure the key for much-changed Scots

• How they line up at Murrayfield

• Allan Massie: Ruaridh Jackson is a bit raw but he can rise to the big occasion and lift the mood of the fans

• Mike Blair ready to play part in changed side

• Brian O'Driscoll relishing return

• Alastair Kinnock: We let Scotland down . . now let's inspire nation

• Jamie Heaslip rejects claims that stuttering Irish lack confidence

• England aim to break travel-sick French

• Dangerous mission for Welsh against sore Italy

• Under 20s: Scotland 0 - 15 Ireland: Irish power too much for Scotland

Getting those basics right, the scrum, the lineout, the early tackles, rucking and clearing out, will be where this game is won or lost.

Just as the tone was set for the Welsh victory in the way the pendulum swung firmly into the red in the first quarter two weeks ago, so the hosts' ability to perform under the tightening pressure of another championship that promised much but has delivered precious little so far, will go a long way to restoring confidence.But if that is the starting point, what of the finish? On the surface Ireland will be licking their lips at the prospect of sending their back row, and centres Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll running at Jackson, Lamont and Nick De Luca, with the restored Tommy Bowe and Keith Earls eager to come off the wings and lend a hand.

Yet, if we do not know quite what to expect from the new Scottish midfield, then neither will the Irish. The key lies with a momentum that starts with the front five, picks up through the work of the back row in contact and ensures ball comes back quickly from tackled players and moves into game-winning territory, with the questions asked of the Irish defence in its own half.

If the front five are being seriously challenged then Scotland's familiar back row of Kelly Brown, John Barclay and Beattie have a major task to quell the bubbling talents of Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip and David Wallace in a battle for possession that will be as engrossing a feature of this game as any.

Welsh referee Nigel Owens will be the other significant influence here, particularly after the Irish complained to IRB referee board head Paddy O'Brien about their treatment in the opening two games.

And then it comes down to using the ball, not something Scotland have been starring at, hence the remodelled back division. No coaches in sport are blessed with a team of complete players, so all work to varying degrees to strengthen the strong aspects of their charges and negate the weaker points, which explains the picking of Sean Lamont at stand-off.

At scrum-half, Mike Blair has world-class talents and, with Chris Cusiter not expected to return to the game until next month, he has a gilt-edged opportunity to regain pole position.

There has been a murmur of contentment within the squad at the change of stand-off this week, from back rows hopeful of having a platform to attack, created by the flatter line taken up by Jackson, to centres confident they will receive the ball on the front foot on more occasions.

The key for Jackson, as with any stand-off, lies with balance and he will be keen to settle in with some good early kicking in behind the Irish back three and to touch, to show his ability to play the territory game. He needs to be strong of mind and deed as he is unlikely ever to have experienced the pressure that will surround him tomorrow afternoon.Ireland will strive not only to attack him directly, but to close off his support lines and cut down his options in the hope of leaving him helpless and questioning himself on his first Test start.

Jackson will need time to find his feet, so it is important he recognises that Scotland could win without him starring, but simply by executing his basics well and allowing those around him to shine, players such as Beattie and Lamont. It is pretty clear what Lamont's role is about and it fits with the Scotland coaches' desire to find the right balance between creating attacks and finishing them. Max Evans remains on the wing because the coaches were frustrated at seeing someone like him create an opening and the attack develop, only to find a prop receiving the ball inside the 22 with the line beckoning and unable to get there.

But with a lack of line-smashing ball-carriers, it is a case of sacrifice and reward. Lamont's ability to finish is being sacrificed somewhat for his line-breaking strength. At 6ft 2in and 16 stones, he is an effective battering ram. Scotland would want him to take his blinkers off at times too, but his chief remit is to accelerate quickly and get over the gain-line in such an aggressive fashion that he forces several Irishmen to put their shoulders to the wheel to stop him.

Few expect him to make clean breaks, but by tying up defenders like Gordon D'Arcy, Brian O'Driscoll, Wallace and Heaslip he could create space for De Luca, Beattie or Jackson to show their attacking ability with Evans, Nikki Walker and Chris Paterson to be there when the final bit of pace, jink, or power in Walker's case, is needed to finish. Walker has his critics, but the 6ft 4in near-17-stone winger is one of the most difficult to stop when given ball on the run, as he proved last weekend with a hat-trick of tries for the Ospreys.

The return of Paterson at full-back is also sound, as he is a reliable defender, good tactical kicker and, of course, could win the game with his goal kicks, provided he tries not to do too much himself and falls into Irish traps to isolate him.

That is what this comes down to: who makes the most of the strengths that they possess. Ireland may appear to have more across their XV, and arrive with the greater confidence, yet they have reverted to Ronan O'Gara because, like most visitors to Murrayfield, they believe if they play the game in the Scots' half they can win it simply by pressuring Scotland and picking off their mistakes.Scotland have invited that and only they can change it by forcing the momentum in the other direction.

That is when we have witnessed O'Driscoll losing it a little; getting involved in 'afters', hanging on in tackles and arguing with the referee or Scots players.

O'Driscoll will lead his side tomorrow afternoon strong in the belief that they have the beating of this Scotland side, revenge for the Triple Crown 'Croker choker' heavy in the air and with the championship try-scoring record of Ian Smith, the 'Flying Scotsman', in his sights. Currently on 23, the 32-year-old needs one more to equal it.

Scotland will not play as poorly as they did against Wales, but will improvement be enough to beat O'Driscoll's Ireland? They are taking a bold approach to answering that in the positive.

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