How to breathe life into Scottish rugby

SCOTLAND'S hopes of a successful RBS Six Nations Championship this season have all but turned to dust after defeats to France at home and Wales in Cardiff, but already thoughts are turning to the next fixture against Ireland.

Scotland travel to Croke Park in Dublin next week with the unenviable and worrying record of having scored only one try in their last five games, and without a win in the city in ten years.

Frank Hadden, the national team coach, has to find a quick fix for his side's problems ahead of the next matches with the Irish and England if Scotland are to avoid facing Italy in the final match of the championship in what could become clash for the wooden spoon.

The Scotsman asked a selection of former Scotland internationalists – Tom Smith, John Beattie, Finlay Calder and Jim Renwick – for their views on how to reverse the team's current fortunes. Inside, former player, coach and director of rugby Jim Telfer speaks about his sympathy for the pressure that Hadden finds himself under, while also calling for the players to take more responsibility on the field and offering his suggestions about where improvements can be made.


TOM SMITH

'The Six Nations Championship is a quick tournament, which is good because these players will want to get out there as soon as they can and start putting things right.

It is tough after two defeats and with three big games to come. The secret is not to take people's opinions personally. It seems to a player that everyone is against you, everyone wants you to lose, when, in fact, the vast majority of the country – including journalists – want you to improve, score tries and win games – there is a lot more support out there than it will feel like right now.

Yes, there are aspects of our game which need improving – ball retention is the key – but we have very good players, and an excellent captain in Jason White.

They know how to improve basic skills, but they need confidence to do it and so the squad has to get together, and remind each other they are good players – there are reasons why you have been selected for Scotland. I always felt the bad times made the good times even

better, so go out and throw caution to the wind in Ireland and just play rugby.'

JIM RENWICK

'Wait till you've been through ten straight defeats – then you'll know disappointment! I'm sure Frank Hadden and the players are not wanting to play like they did on Saturday, but sometimes you get into a rut where things just won't go right.

It's just wee things we need to tighten up – the tackle, breakdown, passing – and play with a bit more freedom. We haven't created much and I feel the boys are a bit frightened. I'm sure Frank wants them to have a go and play what they see, and it's hard to know why it's not working yet.

Let's not kid ourselves – we were never going to win this championship. Frank Hadden talked it up and got the media to as well, while the bookies still had Scotland ranked last with Italy to win the tournament, and I agreed with that. We have to be more realistic.

The players have to get their heads together and work on what they're good at. We need the leaders to step forward and the players to get stuck in.

We had the same problems when I played and we weren't any better than the guys now. But it's up to the boys to change it; no-one else can.'

FINLAY CALDER

'It is a fact that we have not played well for a few games now, but the one thing the squad cannot do is turn in on itself. They have to get their heads up. We have all been through what they're feeling right now.

We got a bit carried away with the strength of our squad, though, in saying that, they are capable of a lot more when they fire.

Talk is cheap, and it's very well us and the media giving opinions – it's easy commenting from a distance. But the players are the only ones who can do something about the recent results. They have to believe in each other.

All the teams in this championship are very strong, and it's certainly not easy for the coaches when players continue to make errors.

We genuinely look short of confidence in the midfield – ten, 12 and 13 – and they seem caught between a rock and a hard place. We spin it wide and it breaks down, then keep it tight with the forwards and we can't break through a paper bag. That is tough, but the

players and coaches have to do the best they can and have belief that it will come right.'

JOHN BEATTIE

'I would look seriously at bringing Andy Robinson on board. He has a job as Edinburgh head coach, but they aren't playing when Scotland resume next week, and our biggest problem at the moment is the breakdown. He was a back-row player and coach for England and the British and Irish Lions, and I am told by Edinburgh forwards they have never experienced the quality and detail of coaching they are receiving from him.

If that resource is there, that amount of experience, why let it sit idle? He has banned the old 'pick-and-go' at Edinburgh I'm told and has worked at the elite end in recent years, so knows how the top players operate at the breakdown.

The way we're playing and the simplicity of the mistakes is the most frustrating thing for everybody.

I feel for the players right now because, when I played, I was an amateur and, when the flak flew, my job wasn't on the line. But the coach talked them up as the best squad Scotland had had for

years, with more depth than any other, and I think some got wildly optimistic.'