Parallels with 1990s gives Scots hope, says Gavin Hastings

THE reappearance of sunshine in Scottish skies this week brightened the mood after another intensely deflating RBS Six Nations Championship, but turning to those with long careers in the navy blue is perhaps where we find most optimism.

Gavin Hastings was one of many Scots who headed without much turnaround from the Italian sunshine to the roasting temperatures of Hong Kong this week to savour the world-famous sevens tournament. He is a frequent visitor to this tropical rugby oasis, perhaps understandably as a Scot remembered for some memorable sunny days with Scotland but who will never forget the colder moments of representing his country.

This week has brought some of those memories back. He has spent the past few days playing the Scottish ambassador role across the Hong Kong ex-pat community in the uniquely brilliant way few others can, but, taking time out, admitted that he felt for Andy Robinson.

More, aware that the Scotland coach is currently considering his future, he believes that Robinson should continue and emerge from this first whitewash in eight years with more conviction about taking the current squad forward. Asked why, he is quick to recall the feelings he experienced as Scotland captain in 1994.

He said: “That was a shocking period for us, but not so different to now. Some people only remember the Grand Slam of 1990, and tend to think of all of us as legends and guys who never put a foot wrong, and others I’m sure will remind you about 1994 and when everyone was calling for me to retire.

“I was getting a hard time from the press and public. I was ‘too old’; I ‘should walk away’. I was ‘past it’. After the World Cup in 1991 it was hard and through 1993-94, we lost four games in a row, drew with Ireland 6-6 and then lost another four in a row.”

Scotland lost at Twickenham at the end of the 1993 championship and then were well beaten at Murrayfield by New Zealand 51-15, in November, the first time Scotland had conceded 50 points in an international.

In the 1994 Five Nations, Scotland lost 29-6 to Wales in Cardiff, were denied a Calcutta Cup win by two points and the infamous ‘hand of Rob’, when England fly-half Rob Andrew handled in a ruck and the referee gave the penalty against Scotland – supposedly, because he mistook the navy cuffs England wore at that time for being a Scottish sleeve. Hastings’ team drew in Dublin and then lost to France at home, 20-12.

“There were similarities between then and now,” Hastings recalled, “in the sense that we should have beaten England that year. I think we were a wee bit unlucky, like the team this year, but fates contrived to be against us in early games. When the chips are down and things are tough, you don’t get the bounce of the ball, or the referee’s decision, and you don’t deserve it.

“We weren’t quite good enough against France this year though we played very well, and there was no disgrace in not quite being good enough. But where there is disgrace is not performing to anyone’s standards in Rome last weekend.

“I don’t think they help themselves when they play as they did in Rome, and the individual mistakes they have made in this championship have cost them severely. But it’s not new.

“I remember vividly the criticism I received in 1994 and then in 1995 everyone was delighted when we started with a win over Ireland, and then had that great game in Paris where myself and Gregor [Townsend] scored and pulled a win out at the death, and then went on to beat Wales too.

“We lost the Grand Slam decider at Twickenham, but what a change in mood in a year. That’s Scottish rugby.”

And he can see a repeat next season despite evidence that Scottish improvements, as apparent as they are, lag behind the improvements of other countries. The failure to get over the winning line is why Scotland are on a run of seven straight losses, Robinson has just 12 wins in 29 Tests and the SRU are again feeling the pressure to change the head coach.

Hastings’ record as Scotland captain – briefly in 1993 under Ian McGeechan, but largely coached by Dougie Morgan, who was replaced by Richie Dixon in 1995/96 – was eight wins in 19 games. During that spell he missed two tour defeats in Argentina.

“The key at that time is the same now – finding a way to break the negative cycle of defeat,” stressed the former British and Irish Lions skipper.

“I support Andy Robinson and believe he can do that. I think the guy has worked incredibly hard for Scotland and I believe that he should continue because he will continue to work hard and has the ability to turn things around.

“I don’t think changing the coach will improve the situation. Many in Scottish rugby have praised Robinson for his coaching ability with Edinburgh and Scotland, the way he works with players, the insight and knowledge he has, so that doesn’t disappear overnight. I still believe that he is the best coach that we can have, and I know that nobody will be hurting more than he is.”

All coaches hurt when they lose and feeling the pain of a bad run is one thing, turning it around something else. Hastings can enjoy weekends as a Scotland supporter now, where the 80-minute ‘middle bit’ has become almost an irrelevance for many. But he has that inner knowledge, the sweet and the sour memories, of what it takes to win for Scotland, and the trials an internationalist in the navy blue faces.

He holds, therefore, an optimism that others may not possess at this moment of time, that comes from having been there and effected change in national team fortunes, and the secret to sunnier days, he insists, is little more than blood, sweat and toil, and a bit of rugby intelligence.

Hastings added: “There is no question that confidence gets hit with results like we saw in Rome, and I don’t think there is any Scotland player who hasn’t been where these boys are now.

“They will get through this, but not making the same mistakes, or failing to understand how to win the game. That has to change. In 94/95, I think I was a good leader of men, but it needed everyone to recognise what was required to change performances.

“There was a lot of disappointment in Rome, but I was asked if this squad could come back from it, and I said ‘of course they can come back from it’.

“There is no substitute for hard work. Everyone has to roll their sleeves up and they have to cut out the silly mistakes, to ensure that they give themselves the chance of performing at their best levels. That was what we did back then and it will be the same now and, with one win, confidence will lift. In my opinion, we have the players and the coach to make that happen.”