John Barclay got back into the Scotland team he thought was closed off to him “by what he did himself” rather than as a tactical piece in a plan to defeat England in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener.
The 29-year-old will win his 44th cap and his first on the blindside for Scotland in the Calcutta Cup game, his first appearance in the championship since Rome in 2012, Andy Robinson’s last Six Nations game as head coach of Scotland.
He’s one of just two changes from the team that started the heartbreaking Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Australia, replacing Blair Cowan as Scotland maintain the “double openside” selection that matched the Wallabies. The other change sees Matt Scott return to the centre in place of the injured Peter Horne.
Continuity is clearly important to head coach Vern Cotter, and given the injuries another may see Duncan Taylor replaced on the bench by Sean Lamont Barclay for Cowan is the only step outside of a settled side.
The former Dollar Academy boy was in the preparatory World Cup squad, scored on his only start in the warm-ups, yet was cut when Cotter opted to take only John Hardie of his handful of 7s to the tournament proper. Even when in-competition injury allowed the coach a little leeway, it was Cowan he called on and picked for the quarter-final.
Barclay, never one to hide his feelings, commented on Twitter that “Scottish caps are a little hard to come by for me these days”. He signed a new contract with Scarlets and put his nose to the grindstone.
What changed? According to Cotter, it is not tactical, it was Barclay’s response to his World Cup omission.
“It’s what John himself has done and the ability he has,” said the coach. “I think John Hardie has been playing very well at seven, but John Barclay’s experience there, his ability all over the park, he’s got the ability to back up someone like (Hardie).
“He’s a good link player. So we feel it’s good to have someone who can make that pass and combine with the backs.
“John’s a proud rugby player and since he’s been here he’s shown a lot of enthusiasm. Trying to get the jersey off his back will be fairly hard.”
Of course, it is partly tactical. Cowan offers more speed, but Barclay’s a better defensive player, whilst arguably even more effective over the ball. The pair could even end up on the pitch together, as both can move across the back row if required.
Otherwise Cotter has left well alone, attempting to bridge from the World Cup experience to the spring.
“It was great to get back together, there was a tremendous buzz, and there’s a really energy to get going again,” he said. “I can feel the energy and desire to do better.”
There’s a fresh input from new coaches Jason O’Halloran and Richie Gray the Scottish breakdown specialist’s analysis of England and Wales will be important, Cotter believes and now it’s time to take the next step.
“We are still working on some main things within the team, trying to develop our skill sets, our decision making and how we control games,” he added.
“There was an improvement during the World Cup and we now want to kick on from that.
“I do think the continuity is the key. Performance is consistency, so we’re working hard to find that consistency.”
It’s impossible to avoid, however, the change in the England camp and the arrival of their loquacious new head coach to the mix.
Cotter was visibly uncomfortable at perceived attempts to draw him into the thrust and counter-thrust bantering with Eddie Jones this week so far it’s been Jones throwing a few of his usual verbal jabs into thin air – but he was willing to deliver some opinions.
“I don’t think you change things right away,” said Cotter about being a new coach with a new set-up. “The change comes from the people in the team and first of all they have to want to change. But you do need a certain amount of time.
“If you are looking at the coaching staff, we know he’s taken (Ian) Borthwick from Japan. Will he bring in some Saracens characteristics and traits? I think so, Eddie was involved there before, so was Borthwick, the defence coach.
“We’re also looking at (England 10) George Ford’s controlling of a game. We know how he likes to play with England and with Bath.
“Eddie will want to have a couple of personal touches and some of his core beliefs, but whether there is time to anchor those in, we’ll find out on Saturday. I think he’ll try to surprise us with something we haven’t seen.”
But he thinks Jones, despite his widespread experience in the game, will be struck by the intensity of the Six Nations.
“I think it will surprise him; definitely, from my perspective, it was an eye opener. The intensity of it was above anything I had experienced,” he continued.
“I think the Six Nations, if I’m comparing the two, is even harder than the World Cup because you get such limited time in preparing the team.
“It’s a powerful event. A very tough and passionate competition. It’s not something he’s experienced before, and we certainly want to make Murrayfield something he hasn’t experienced.”
On the bench, Zander Fagerson stands to become the youngest front rower to play for Scotland since 1948 and the youngest in all of international rugby since 1991. The Kirriemuir tight-head, 20 just a couple of weeks ago, has impressed the head coach.
“He is as good as I’ve seen at that age,” added Cotter “He’s a credit to the people who have been coaching him and bringing along, the strength and conditioning guys as well as the technical coaching he’s had.”
Team: Stuart Hogg (Glasgow); Sean Maitland (London Irish), Mark Bennett (Glasgow), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow); Finn Russell (Glasgow), Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester, captain); Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, WP Nel (all Edinburgh); Jonny Gray (Glasgow), Richie Gray (Castres); John Barclay (Scarlets), John Hardie (Edinburgh), David Denton (Bath).
Replacements: Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), Gordon Reid (Glasgow), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow), Tim Swinson (Glasgow), Blair Cowan (London Irish), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh), Duncan Weir (Glasgow), Duncan Taylor (Saracens).