Six Nations: Andy Robinson ‘rewards’ team by refusing to wield axe after Dublin

SCOTLAND coach Andy Robinson has stuck by the players who endured a Dublin nightmare in an attempt to give them belief for this weekend’s final RBS Six Nations match against Italy.

The Scots head to Rome for another wooden spoon decider with the Azzurri on the back of six straight defeats and with just two wins and a draw under Robinson in three championships.

Scotland opened this year’s Six Nations with a stultifying 13-6 defeat at Murrayfield to an insipid and callow England side on its first outing under Stuart Lancaster, but picked up to produce more vibrant periods, albeit in defeat, to Wales and France. But they then shuddered to a halt in the 32-14 loss to Ireland and the promise of the earlier games seemed hollow.

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However, having already blooded five new Six Nations starters, and been forced into numerous changes over the past six games due to injuries, Robinson has made only one change to the side for Saturday’s match, restoring Nick De Luca to the outside centre berth after the Edinburgh player withdrew at the last minute in Ireland with a hamstring strain.

It was a straightforward move after winger Lee Jones was ruled out by the head injury he suffered against Ireland, with Max Evans shifting back to the wing.

On the bench, Matt Scott, who made his debut in Dublin, drops out in favour of Bath’s 6ft 5in Jack Cuthbert, who provides more versatile cover for the back division.

The obvious first question for Robinson at yesterday’s announcement was why stick with a team that has so far failed to produce the results?

“You review the individual and team performances,” he said. “There had been a lot of steps forward before that game and it is about rewarding those players in this final game.

“I’ve kept the forward pack the same because of what we believe we’ll be facing in terms of a very strong maul against them and a team that’s able to stop that maul. But also the scrum which will be tested every single scrum. So it’s getting that continuity and the best eight plus the bench to take on this Italian pack for 80 minutes.

“We are where we are and we have go to be able to deal with it. I have trust in the players that, if we don’t make the individual errors that we’ve made defensively, we’ll win the game.”

Using the term “rewarding” was interesting, but it does point to Robinson seeking to draw belief and inspiration from the displays against Wales and France.

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In truth, he has few options and it is also, in reality, more about trying to help the players to learn from their failings in early games, and few will be keener to learn from mistakes than De Luca.

Having suffered the ignominy of a yellow card against Wales, which helped turn the tide of the game in the hosts’ favour, he played well off the bench against France only to succumb in the warm-up last week to a hamstring strain.

He conceded: “It was a horrible experience having to pull out so late, especially after working so hard to get back in the team. I thought that it was just pain and that I would be all right, but the physios and doctors could see I was not running well and I was off the pace in my tests. You cannot really afford to be a yard off the pace against Ireland, never mind three or four so it was the right decision. I have never had hamstring issues before so I was not sure what it was, but I am 100 per cent now and looking forward to the game.”

With Max Evans seemingly out of sorts, perhaps understandably in a rare start at outside centre, the return of De Luca should improve the strength of the midfield, particularly in defence, with Evans, Sean Lamont and Stuart Hogg all lively attacking threats in the back three.

De Luca, who scored one of two tries in last year’s 21-8 win over Italy, admitted: “I was delighted to get picked for Ireland and then gutted at what happened, so it is another chance and I am determined to deliver.

“The Italians are a good side and their defence has improved ten-fold. In their last six games they have either been in the lead or within three points after 60 minutes. They are a big, physical side so we need to front up and make our tackles. They also used to be easier to score tries against but this season they are vastly improved. We have managed to win games against big sides without scoring tries but I think we will have to if we want to win this weekend.”

Robinson has been pleased at how the squad has picked itself up this week and regained confidence, and he insists there is a strong focus on cutting out errors that have gifted opposition momentum, and victories, and belief that victory will finally be theirs.

“When we review the games you want to scream because of the simple errors made,” he added. “We’re not going to beat sides if we get 6-0 in the lead and then concede a cheap score; then get back to 10-9 and concede straight away, particularly away from home.

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“That [run of defeats] is not what I am here for and it has been a huge disappointment, but I have got to get on with it and prepare a side to take on Italy. I am enjoying working with this squad of players. Yes, there are challenges, but the passion and desire the players show is what fuels me.”

SCOTLAND TEAM

v Italy at Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Saturday, kick-off 12:30pm

15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow)

14 Max Evans (Castres)

13 Nick De Luca (Edinburgh)

12 Graeme Morrison (Glasgow)

11 Sean Lamont (Scarlets)

10 Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh)

9 Mike Blair (Edinburgh)

1 Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh)

2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh) capt

3 Geoff Cross (Edinburgh)

4 Richie Gray (Glasgow)

5 Jim Hamilton (Gloucester)

6 John Barclay (Glasgow)

7 Ross Rennie (Edinburgh)

8 David Denton (Edinburgh)