Parks given a rocket by ‘Mr Happy’

For Dan Parks, the Scotland stand-off, last night was a chance to reassert his claims to the No 10 jersey in an ongoing battle with Ruaridh Jackson. He was voted Scotland’s ‘Player of the Tournament’ at the 2007 World Cup by his team-mates, and has endured a rollercoaster ride in international rugby since then.

Parks’ ability to keep the ball in the Georgian half during Scotland’s 15-6 win in Invercargill with his pinpoint kicking was a crucial factor in the victory and with coach Andy Robinson insisting that he expects a similar game with the Pumas the 33-year-old may be in line to retain the starting slot.

It might not have appeared that way at half-time, however, when Parks flirted with disaster in failing to kick the ball out and bring the half to an end, and was forced to cling on for dear life under a welter of Georgian bodies before the ball was finally put out. His lazy punt did not have enough power to clear the players and cross the touchline from only a matter of yards away. Robinson was not impressed in the stand, as he saw the good work of the first half needlessly put in jeopardy – and the Scotland stand-off was well aware of his coach’s ire.

“I’m very happy that we won,” he said, with a hint of under-statement. “I had a bit of a hairy moment on half-time. Georgia had called a knock-on because the ball did go forward and so I was just going to kick the ball out, but I was a bit casual and it came off the side of my foot and hit Nathan [Hines], and then panic set in. But I got on to the ball and held it up, and Sean [Lamont] helped me out. It was hairy, but it was all good in the end.

“It’s one of those things. It hasn’t cost us, but it could have cost us and is one of the things from the first two games that we need to learn from – well, I certainly will learn from. Andy [Robinson] certainly wasn’t happy, but he’s alright now because we won.

“It’s good in a sense that we’re winning while having these little obstacles, and now it’s about how you react to them. The pack played well after the Romanian game, and a big thing different from the weekend was the discipline.

“I know that was something that Mr Happy [Robinson] wasn’t happy about at the weekend, but he was happier tonight and it’s certainly a lot better now, and our pack take a lot of the credit for that.

“This game was a big focus for our forward pack, but they really stood up to them, especially the front row.”

Parks was credited with scoring the first drop-goal of the 2011 tournament and he said that it was something he would be looking to repeat in future games.

“I didn’t know that was the first,” he added. “I just saw the opportunity and on a wet night I wanted to get the scoreboard ticking over.

“In most tournaments drop-goals get used because they are a good, quick way to get three points when you’re in the opposition 22.

“There have been a few attempts in this World Cup, and hopefully, I’ll get a few more.”

There could be some speculation over whether the choice of fly-half contributed directly to Scotland’s ability to score tries in the opening games, with Jackson’s flatter style and more running style of game in contrast to the kicking game Robinson employs around Parks’ talents.

This brings us back to the dilemma Robinson’s predecessor Frank Hadden faced four years ago, most manifest against the Pumas. The kicking style prevailed then and ultimately cost Scotland as they left it too late to open up and threaten Argentina, falling short of a victory that could have taken them to the semi-finals.

Much has changed in the four years since then and it was Parks who steered Scotland to back-to-back victories over the Pumas in Argentina in 2010, helped by a powerful pack.

It will be intriguing, therefore, to see which stand-off Robinson backs to claim victory in Wellington when the teams meet a week on Sunday.