Total focus, clarity of mind and taking care of the little things will carry Scotland to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals next week with victory over Samoa today, believes Ross Ford.
At 92-times capped the hooker and former skipper is second only in seniority to Sean Lamont, who is set to become the second male Scot to pass 100 caps if surely when he gets on at St James’ Park in Scotland’s final Pool B game this afternoon.
And while he doesn’t follow football, he’s aware that focus until the match is put away is essential after the national soccer team lost their slim hopes of qualification with the last kick of the ball on Thursday night.
“I didn’t see the game but I heard that Scotland were maybe unlucky with the last-gasp goal,” he said. “We know ourselves what that can feel like.
“It can come down to all those little things in the end, so it’s more about being proactive rather than reactive, The focus can’t drop, it’s about switching from one thing to the next constantly.
“It’s about staying in the moment, not harking back to the past, making sure you’ve clarity of thought for that moment.”
Ford experienced largely what the soccer team suffered in New Zealand in 2011, losing to England in their final pool game to miss out on the last eight and being turfed out of the team hotel almost immediately to make way for one of the successful quarter-finalists.
“That was a huge disappointment because we didn’t feel we had done ourselves justice,” he recalled. “But we’re not looking back on that, we’re looking ahead.
“It does (concentrate the mind) that this is last pool game; win this and we go on to the quarter final, which is something that we’ve worked hard for right from the start of pre-season.
“Knowing some other teams are going home does bring it home a little more and we know we have a massive job to get that result.”
Samoa have been a tough nut to crack for the Scots with a narrow win in Apia three years ago and a defeat in the triangular tournament in South Africa in their last meeting, but Ford isn’t buying that they’re going to lay down now that they can’t progress to the last eight.
“We need to focus and get into the game early. We understand they have dangerous backs and good off loaders, strong in contact. We have to dominate upfront and set a platform to release Hoggy and Mark (Bennett) to do what they do so well.
“The setpiece is key. South Africa had a strong scrum and lineout, and you can’t play if you’re not getting the ball. We’ve looked at their setpiece and we want to target that area.”
Ford is, injury permitting, a near certainty to follow Lamont as a centurion for Scotland in the next year or two, and given his caps have all been at the coal-face his will be an extraordinary achievement, but he had a tribute for his team-mate.
“To be on the cusp of getting to 100 caps, it shows how good he is because this is a tough game,” he continued. “Sean’s had his fair share of injuries throughout his career but he’s kept coming back and got stronger and the last couple of years he’s right back to his best form.
“He’s a great boy to know and for the squad. I’ll be really pleased for him if he gets that tomorrow, it’s something he can be very proud of and I think he’s a got a few games left in him yet. But he’s been very matter-of-fact about it, it’s all about what happens on the field for Sean.
“I haven’t even thought about myself. It’d be nice to get 100, the first forward, but I haven’t given it a thought. I still enjoy it, so if I’m picked I’ll continue to put myself forward.”