Scottish warrior Rory Sutherland makes a stunning return

Twenty-three years ago the British and Irish Lions selectors popped a surprise when they took a young Scottish prop to South Africa, home of the the reigning World Champions. That initial surprise turned to shock when they picked Tom Smith for the three Test matches ahead of stalwarts such as Jason Leonard, a veteran of two World Cup campaigns.
Rory Sutherland,  making a break during the recent Calcutta Cup match against England, has been one of few successes in Scotland’s Six Nations campaign so far. Picture: SNS/SRU.Rory Sutherland,  making a break during the recent Calcutta Cup match against England, has been one of few successes in Scotland’s Six Nations campaign so far. Picture: SNS/SRU.
Rory Sutherland, making a break during the recent Calcutta Cup match against England, has been one of few successes in Scotland’s Six Nations campaign so far. Picture: SNS/SRU.

Smith had exactly three caps to his name but he was Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer’s type of player… resolute, skilful and determined in equal measure. He did not let them down.

Smith was just the latest in a long line of mobile, athletic, ball-handling looseheads that always seem to appear in Scotland’s better teams stretching back to Hawick’s Hugh McLeod, through Ian McLaughlan and David Sole.

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Rory Suttherland is cut from the same cloth and, like the august names above, he is a warrior on the field.

There were two astonishing sporting comeback stories over the weekend and, while Tyson Fury will hog the headlines, Sutherland’s return from an abductor injury that had him flat on his back for three months, as helpless as an upturned turtle, was almost as unlikely. He boasts six caps in total now, three of which came in 2016 before the injury, three in 2020 after fighting back to full fitness.

Sutherland has been a rare success story in a Scotland squad that, like a stroke victim, has had to relearn how to walk. He has caught the eye both in the tight and the loose. When he found a yard of space against England he displayed explosive pace.

But more important has been his work in the set scrum where a combination of raw strength and technique has enabled him to cause problems for some of the best in the business. Tadhg Furlong is no one’s idea of a pushover but Sutherland appeared to have the measure of the Lions’ starting tighthead when Scotland won a couple of straight-arm penalties in Dublin on the opening weekend.

Even more impressive was his performance against Italy. After an early free-kick to Italy, the set scrums went Scotland’s way and the reason was that Sutherland gave his opposite number Giosue Zilocchi such a going over that you almost felt sorry for the big Italian who is still only 23, still attending kindergarten in tighthead terms.

In order to counter Sutherland’s power, Zilocchi attempted to go low with his feet well back behind him until he was scrummaging in a position that a flanker might adopt… one straight line. All Sutherland had to do was ease off on the power a notch or simply drop his opposite number to the ground and the officials are going to blow against the prop who is laid out flat on the floor.

Italy did not help themselves. They had already conceded one scrum penalty to the Scots when, only eight minutes into the game, the scrumhalf Callum Braley could have moved it quickly but instead chose to leave the ball at his No 8’s feet as Italy’s big men tried to get a secondary shove on only five metres from their own line. It proved a big mistake as Sutherland earned Scotland that “gimmie” penalty that Adam Hastings should have kicked with his 
eyes closed.

Sutherland’s form is all the more surprising when you consider that he had enjoyed only two starts for Edinburgh this season, both in the European Challenge Cup. This has something to do with injuries but also because he was ranked behind the South African favourite Pierre Schoeman. It will be interesting to see whether Edinburgh’s pecking order reflects the new reality post Six Nations?

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Scotland boast talents but far too many of them are underperforming. Stuart Hogg’s howlers in the first two matches. Scott Cummings has a propensity to concede dumb penalties. Fraser Brown is unable to hit the board with his arrows, never mind the bull. Ali Price is unable to translate his displays for Glasgow into the international arena. Stuart McInally is unable to unearth his form of two years ago when he was the best hooker in Britain by a margin.

The only Scots who can look back on the opening three rounds with some degree of satisfaction are Sutherland, perhaps Zander Fagerson, and the twin loosies Hamish Watson, pictured left, and Jamie Ritchie who could, if they are allowed to develop, turn into a great double act.

Next year the British and Irish Lions tour once again to South Africa who are, once again, World Champions. With Warren Gatland, once again, in charge of the touring team the under-performing Scots can, once again, expect no favours from the Kiwi head coach.

If Scotland want any representation at all, they will need to show the best of themselves, and quickly, otherwise strong contenders such as Sutherland will be tainted by the odour of ordinary that stalks this Scotland squad.