Six Nations: Steadman sets scrum as key to first victory in Six Nations

Published on Thursday 18 March 2010 22:09

GRAHAM Steadman has been in this position before, and not only in the green of the Emerald Isle.

The man trying to steel the Scotland defence into a world leader has a familiarity with the Irish game from his period with Munster and Ireland immediately before he switched to the navy blue in 2008 and joined Frank Hadden's staff as the SRU sought to strengthen the national squad.

That should stand Scotland in good stead in their search for that elusive first tournament win under Andy Robinson, but, more than that, Steadman is acutely aware of key problems that have risen up to block the progress of Scotland and others in the 2010 RBS Six Nations Championship, from his previous life in another code.

Steadman, below, was a prodigious talent in rugby league, the subject of a world transfer record in 1989 of 170,000 (around 400,000 with today's average earnings), from Featherstone to Castleford, and a Great Britain cap. The full-back/stand-off remembers league depowering its scrummage to improve the game and transforming its attack in response to defences that were suffocating the game and making tries scarce. Still an avid fan of both league and union, and their key differences, Steadman urges the 15-a-side code to tackle the scrum and players to open their eyes if the dull aspects of this year's championship are to be left behind.

"The scrums were a nightmare at the weekend," he said, "and I know Gregor (Townsend, backs coach] is getting very frustrated. He puts a lot of time into researching the opposition, where they're weak in scrum defence, and works attacking plays around that, yet we rarely get the opportunity, because of the interpretation of the referee, to execute those plays and threaten space. Spectators pay good money to see quality plays executed well and the scrum is the only time the backs get real space to have a go. Some of the best tries in the southern hemisphere are from scrum attack and so if you don't have solid scrums you lose a major platform for attack.

"I remember scrums in league when I was growing up and it was carnage in the middle of the pitch. Now it's very tidy and gives the players the chance to attack. I'm not saying we should do the same in union because the scrummage is a great part of this game and the challenge of getting a strong shoulder in the scrum that can let you exploit the opposition defence is great. But we need referees to stop teams taking it down and having countless resets. With more consistency in the scrums we'd see much more attacking rugby, from us definitely, but from a lot of teams."

Scotland know they face one of the relatively poorer scrums in the tournament in Dublin tomorrow, one of the few areas where they have an advantage on paper, but the Irish front row is experienced and adept at negating scrum threats to cover their own inadequacies. So far Scotland have struggled to overcome that.

As the scrum is Scotland's focus, the Irish camp are keen to sharpen their breakdown work after penalties against Wales, so match referee Jonathan Kaplan can expect lengthy discussions with both coaching teams. But that is only part of the Scottish story in a run of five Tests in six where no Scot has crossed the all-important white line.

Enough chances have been created to win the past three games, but Steadman pinpoints the ability of players to react and respond to what appears in the game rather than simply adhering to training plans as a key factor that improved attacking play in league and is currently dulling Scotland's finishing senses.

"It's 'heads-up' rugby," said Steadman, "and the teams winning – France and Ireland – are the best at it. We're encouraging our players to look for the space rather than only focus on what the next phase was that we practised.

"It's not easy because it relies on the player having the ability to see the space and confidence to go for it in the heat of the moment, but that is where league has gone in its development and it's where union is going too. It has to when the defences are now so well-organised. It's the difference between missing a chance and being clinical."

From a nation that lost regularly to Scotland in the 1990s, Steadman was involved in Irish rugby when the tide turned, the defences improving and burgeoning confidence leading to a haul of 57 tries in the five championships from 2004-8 – 30 more than Scotland – four Triple Crowns, and last year's long-awaited Grand Slam.

But Steadman is upbeat this week. He sees an ageing Irish team and a younger, exciting Scottish one. He insists improved scrummage, solid defence and greater awareness of opportunities will lift Scottish fortunes.

"We should be sitting with five or six points, but the bottom line is, after a lot of hard work in the last seven weeks, and over the past six months with Glasgow and Edinburgh, we have just one point. To get to the next level the players need to take more responsibility across the team and start playing with their heads up, but it will come."