What the pundits said about Scotland

How the rugby press and former players rated performance

THE aftermath of Scotland’s exit from the Rugby World Cup has been dominated by talk of missed opportunities, a failure to reach the quarter-finals for the first time, and a lack of mental strength to close out victories when ahead in big games. But while there has been much critical self-analysis of where Scotland went wrong, there has also been praise for a team who came close to winning all four games – but not quite close enough.

Although Scotland are out, some individual performances and a willingness to play open rugby – albeit with little success in the way of tries – found admirers. Our rugby writers David Ferguson and Tom English have brought you all the action with comprehensive coverage of Scotland’s campaign over the last four weeks, but here is a flavour of what former players and other writers made of the events at Eden Park on Saturday.

“Nobody does losing like Scotland. Nobody. Gallantly. Agonisingly. Honourably. Hopelessly. Not hopeless in the sense that they cannot play. They might have trouble crossing the field’s most important white line with the ball in hand, but they can play. Their hopelessness refers to the feeling they leave their fans.”

Dylan Cleaver

New Zealand Herald

“For most of this epic contest Scotland seemed more likely to gain the win they deserved and looked capable of knocking out England in the process.”

Stephen Jones Sunday Times

“The 57th-minute restart, more than any single incident, will haunt every member of the Scottish pack for at least the next four years … the other area that patently needs addressing is Scotland’s try-scoring.”

Rob Kitson The Observer

“[Scotland] stood like statues at the restart – something that failed them too in last Sunday’s crucial defeat to Argentina – and soon a sweetly struck right-footed drop-goal by Wilkinson had England back in the hunt.”

Hugh Godwin Independent on Sunday

“I don’t think England would have won if Scotland had not needed an eight-point margin. If that had been a Six Nations game, Scotland would have been happy with the 12-9 lead and hoofed the ball at every opportunity, leaving England chasing the game from their own half.”

Dean Ryan The Observer

“Delon Armitage on the left wing and Manu Tuilagi at centre looked one-dimensional compared to dashing Scots three-quarters opposites like Max Evans who has had a strong all-round tournament and Simon Danielli.”

Andrew Alderson New Zealand Herald

“We actually got the basics right. Our lineout was excellent and out scrum was doing real damage to England.”

Craig Chalmers Sunday Herald

“If you’re up for it, passion will get you through the first 20 minutes of a rugby match. If you’re even more up for it than usual, it might see you to the half hour. Scotland were so up for it that their eyes were practically popping out during the anthems. Ultimately, though, it wasn’t enough. Passion didn’t cut it.”

David Flatman Independent on Sunday

“Watching them in first 40 minutes was like watching a Scotland side play in the late Eighties and early Nineties. It was all hellfire and thunder. . . Euan Murray bent Matt Stevens double.”

David Sole Sunday Telegraph

“Five minutes from time, with Scotland ahead by three, the World Cup-winning All Black forward Alan Whetton tapped on the window of the coaches’ box and waved a friendly greeting to Martin Johnson. The response? A glare not so much dark as pitch black. Whetton’s timing as a player was a little better.”

Chris Hewett Independent

“Until they find a sharper edge, perhaps through their soon-to-qualify Dutch winger Tim Visser, they will not finish off good sides with any regularity.”

Rob Kitson The Observer

“What a great fight they put up against England before they succumbed to a match-winning try in the last minute. It felt like Murrayfield, such was the noise and fervour of the Scottish supporters. But, the question has to be asked: what is it with receiving kick-offs that our team cannot come to terms with?”

Jim Telfer STV website

“(Scotland’s) best attacking moments last night owed more to Culloden than Cullen. The first five-eighths’s boot was the preferred method of getting the ball into the wingers’ hands”

Winston Aldworth

New Zealand Herald

“[Richie Vernon was] man of the match for me; not the biggest, except in the matter of heart. Wonderfully influential. (He) played with a magnificent exuberance, as did the maligned Dan Parks, who came on in the fifth minute and kicked quite beautifully out of hand against a strong wind.”

Stephen Jones Sunday Times

“They have nothing to offer on attack except putting it on the toe and hoping. When it went through the hands the attack looked wooden. Nobody has told them that throwing an inside ball works only when the first receiver has taken it to the line, not throwing it five metres in front of the defensive wall.”

Dylan Cleaver New Zealand Herald

“It’s all very well to compliment them on their fine first-half effort, their Billy Bremner-esque appetite for a scrap and the manner in which they hustled England. Strip everything else away, though, and the reason they are heading home is their ruinous allergy to whitewash.”

Rob Kitson The Observer

“I hope this World Cup gives Scottish rugby the kick up the **** it needs. It was Ireland’s failure in the Aussie World Cup that paved the way for their current success. They said ‘never again’, and so should Scotland.”

John Beattie BBC website

“Despite having signed a contract that keeps him as Scotland coach until 2015, I wonder if [Andy Robinson] is considering his future. If he is, I would encourage him to dismiss such thoughts and continue what he has started with Scotland.”

David Sole Sunday Post

“We showed tenacity and effort, but our inability to score tries was telling at the end. We never really looked like getting over the line, and at Test level that’s just not good enough. Overall, it’s been a disappointing World Cup for us. We don’t really deserve to be in the quarter-finals.”

Craig Chalmers Sunday Herald

“Remember August when we were thrilled with wins over Ireland and Italy? Ireland were beaten in all four warm-up games. We had two more warm up games against Romania and Georgia out here. But were they enough to prepare us for Argentina and England? Maybe not. Certainly, Ireland benefited from taking some early hammerings.”

Jim Telfer STV website

“[Sean Lamont] has come far too late to the inside centre jersey in this World Cup; [he] would walk into the England team.”

Stephen Jones

Sunday Times

“The players have only themselves to blame for the two most recent defeats. Selection, coaching and tactics have little to do with it – it’s about execution.”

David Sole Sunday Post

“Robinson and his coaches need to have a long, frank look at what has happened and evolve. I hope we have an honest review of what happened in this World Cup.”

John Beattie

BBC website