David Ferguson: Dan Parks trusted to control game in the right areas

SCOTLAND coach Andy Robinson will be accused of taking the conservative option in selecting Dan Parks instead of either Greig Laidlaw or Duncan Weir to steer Scotland into the RBS Six Nations Championship on Saturday.

However, it is all about control. Robinson insisted that Laidlaw had pushed himself closer to selection with his Heineken Cup performances for Edinburgh – and so will come off the bench – but there remain doubts as to whether the new stand-off has the kicking game to control a faster, more intense and physical match against a better defence in the pressure of a Calcutta Cup. Yet.

In trying to understand Robinson’s thinking, I spoke with three coaches involved with Scotland over the past decade and, intriguingly, all spoke of how impressed they had been by Laidlaw, how they liked the look of Duncan Weir coming through and yet how they would each select Parks for this first game due to his experience and control. Coaches like players doing what they ask and knowing that they can.

All and sundry know that Parks does not attack the line and threaten in the same way as Laidlaw, or Weir is beginning to, but we have also witnessed Parks exerting pressure on Test-match defences with his boot, kick Scotland into the opposition 22 with pinpoint accuracy and push the scoreboard with penalties and drop-goals.

Robinson will, however, ask Parks to vary the attack and ask questions of England from hand and foot. He said: “You think of the way we played against Wales two years ago when everyone said we were going to kick the ball, or when Glasgow played against Toulouse, ran Toulouse off the field and won the game out there. Dan was the fly-half on both occasions.

“We’ve got to balance our game in the way that we play. That’s the key for us; to be able to play in different ways, from the carrying of the forwards to that of Sean Lamont and Nick De Luca, to the quick feet of Max [Evans] and Lee Jones. We have to have a balance and Dan will lead that.”

Ruaridh Jackson has become Robinson’s first-choice fly-half, but the hamstring injury from the last England match has ruled him out of the opening two games. In accumulating 66 caps – he is the most-capped Scot starting – Parks has learned what his strengths and weaknesses are, and what he can and cannot get away with in the white-hot atmosphere and mind-numbing pace of a Six Nations match. He understands Scotland’s players and game-plan and Robinson, dealing in percentages, believes Scotland have more chance to beat England with that knowledge than with an on-form, but untried Test performer.

Pinpointing how Scotland would win on Saturday, Parks revealed that knowledge, saying: “Looking at the successes we’ve had in recent times, it’s about being able to play in the right areas of the pitch. It’s also about accumulating points, getting points on the board and staying in front.

“We did that in New Zealand [against England] and for large parts of that game we played I believe a good brand of rugby and did some exciting things, and that’s the key for me: to get into a winning position and keep pushing that forward.

“We don’t want to get into a position where we have to chase the game, but want to be in a position where we’re in control of the match and hopefully the home crowd will help us with that.”