Scotland have effectively written off the 2011 RBS Six Nations only two games in and are aiming at experimentation for the future.
Inexperienced Glasgow stand-off Ruaridh Jackson will get his first start for his country against Ireland on Sunday, with a view to this autumn’s Rugby World Cup and beyond.
The reaction of hitherto conservative head coach Andy Robinson to Scotland’s pallid performance against Wales two weeks ago is drastic, particularly for a man who was preaching continuity of selection and giving second chances to players only two weeks ago.
Although three changes have been forced by injury and unavailability, he has made four more while altering the hinge of the team: number eight, scrum-half, fly-half and, most surprisingly, inside centre where Sean Lamont, who has not played the position in senior rugby before, steps up.
The most significant change, however, is at 10 with the 23-year-old Aberdonian Jackson in for Dan Parks, the central figure in Scotland’s run of five wins from six games last year and the hammer of the Irish in the last meeting of the teams at Croke Park last March.
While the head coach continued the line he was “only thinking about beating Ireland” and rejected suggestions he was throwing the baby out with the bath water, he hinted it was time to pitch the youthful Jackson into the cauldron of starting a full-blooded test match, with a view to looking far beyond that.Opportunity”Having lost the first two games I think it was right, with the time we have, to give Ruaridh his first start,” said Robinson. “If results had been different then this change might not have happened, but they have and this is a young player given an opportunity to go in and perform and I’m really excited to see how he does.
“The rugby Ruaridh’s had in the last year has allowed him to play really flat and attack the line himself while opening up the passing game. The challenge for him is to execute this on the international stage. He’s done well off the bench but now he organises the whole team and his communication will be crucial.”
Playing Lamont outside the new man may seem like a risk but the reasoning is to get the Perth-born wing’s power into the game at first phase.
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“We’ve talked a lot about midfield combinations. Joe Ansbro’s injury required a change but what’s important for us is that we establish a go-forward for our attacking game,” added Robinson. “Sean is one of our best ball carriers and in Cardiff last year (where Lamont made his only Scotland start at centre, but at 13) we were able to get him running in the game early and effectively.
“Sean has come off the bench and performed outstandingly well, and it’s been great to see him respond to that. We want him in the game, as opposed to carrying it from the back, which he did effectively against Wales after coming on. This time we want him in the front line, running hard, and it frees up Max Evans to come into the game.”
The one generally accepted change was Moray Low for the religiously observant Euan Murray a move that might have happened on form anyway and with Hugo Southwell and Rory Lamont out the way was free for Chris Paterson to make his first start since his 100th cap in Cardiff last year.
To mitigate Ansbro’s absence Nick De Luca moves across to outside centre, Richie Gray returns after a stomach bug excused him from the Welsh loss, and Johnnie Beattie makes a speedy return at eight after his recovery from extensive shoulder surgery, reuniting the Killer B back row so effective last year.
“I was impressed with his performance for Glasgow against Cardiff and the situation is that we need that ball carrying ability in our back row,” said Robinson of Beattie. “The back row is a combination that works well together, but it’s important that the front five are on the front foot to make them effective.
“The scrum-halves, I think, are interchangeable. We have three outstanding players there. With Greig Laidlaw playing well, Mike Blair’s had one start since I’ve been head coach. I thought it was right to give him that opportunity.”
The Wales game has been watched by the head coach nine times in the last two weeks, and it still smarts that his team lost to “an average Welsh side.”
“Even at 16-6 down, if we had taken the chance we had in the second half and got the score to 16-13 I believe we would have gone on to win that game, but we committed far too many errors in our own half. We have had problems starting games and we need to have a big start on Sunday to get the crowd behind us.”
For Jackson, the news came on the first training session on Monday and he was now “seriously excited.”
“It’s obviously the culmination of a dream so it still feels a little surreal, but the only problem is that it is Sunday and we have to wait an extra day,” he said. “Dan was the first to congratulate me. He’s been helping me greatly in the week and he must be hurting inside but he never shows it, just nothing but encouragement.”
Jackson burst on the scene at 20 with a fine individual performance in the Heineken Cup against Bath, but injury ruined last season and it’s only this term he feels the leap forward has been made.
“This season’s been a huge move for me in terms of confidence and ability. Just getting a good run of games for Glasgow has really helped, getting more of an understanding of game management,” he added. “By no means am I the finished article yet, but I’ve improved and want to keep improving and hopefully I can take that into this weekend.”