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Beattie: Maybe Matt Williams should "shut up"

Matt Williams in 2005 /Getty

In the well-worn cliché often misattributed to Albert Einstein, but favoured by one of my closest rugby friends, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. This applies on the rugby pitch just as much as in the science lab. And it is precisely the mistake Scotland made on Saturday, again and again, running headlong into the fiercest defence on the planet.

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The only way to conquer this France side – who blitz furiously between the 15m lines, who take away all your time and space in possession – is to play without the ball. You have to kick long and on the field. You have to put in smart cross-kicks. You have to be more cautious or you will simply be blitzed to oblivion by their posse of huge, ultra-aggressive, uber-organised athletes. It might sound negative or anti-rugby, but give these juggernauts easy targets to hit and you are finished.

What did Scotland do? Run, straight into the eye of the storm. Every time aerial ping-pong broke out, France would kick, and Scotland would run the ball back. They naively thought they could pass their way through this brutal, organised defence – and do it inside their own half. They got smashed, turned over, and gave up easy field position. In commentary, we had our heads in our hands, not really believing what we were seeing: Scotland were not merely shell-shocked by the blitz, but actively chose to run into it.

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Le French Rugby Podcast – Greig Laidlaw | Episode 22

We’re joined by former Scotland captain and ex-Clermont scrum half Greig Laidlaw to discuss whether the Scots can be the ones to stop this France side and beat them in the Six Nations for a third straight year. We chat about how to stop Antoine Dupont, the physicality advantage of the French, Finn Russell’s need to bounce back and the selection issues both sides face. Plus, there’s a couple of crazy red cards in the same Top 14 game to mull over and we pick our MEATER Moment Of The Week…
Use the code FRENCHPOD10 at checkout for 10% off any full price item at Meater.com

Video Spacer

Le French Rugby Podcast – Greig Laidlaw | Episode 22

We’re joined by former Scotland captain and ex-Clermont scrum half Greig Laidlaw to discuss whether the Scots can be the ones to stop this France side and beat them in the Six Nations for a third straight year. We chat about how to stop Antoine Dupont, the physicality advantage of the French, Finn Russell’s need to bounce back and the selection issues both sides face. Plus, there’s a couple of crazy red cards in the same Top 14 game to mull over and we pick our MEATER Moment Of The Week…
Use the code FRENCHPOD10 at checkout for 10% off any full price item at Meater.com

Gregor Townsend’s side kicked 3.4 per cent of their possession. France kicked close to 14 per cent of theirs. Watching Scotland get things so completely wrong was startling given how well they had performed in this fixture of late, and how Townsend had outfoxed Fabien Galthie in a brilliant Scottish win two years ago.

Ali Price Antoine Dupont
Ali Price is tackled by Antoine Dupont /PA

Townsend is a canny operator. He will have seen New Zealand and Ireland try to play through the French blitz in recent months and get utterly pulverised. His players are lighter and smaller by far but he chose to follow the same template. His team walked headlong into a trap. And sitting close by in their coaches’ box, we could see and hear Galthie and Shaun Edwards roaring every time Scotland tried to run out of the middle third of the pitch. Watching it unfold live was extremely hard to stomach.

If you play against a blitz, and you don’t break them in phases one-four, you’re stuffed. You have to kick. France have a physical superiority with their raging bulls steaming up from out to in, and you almost have to refuse the collisions. Especially if you’re Scotland – there’s just no point otherwise. As phenomenal as Rory Darge was on his first Test start, he was feeding off scraps. Imagine if he’d been carrying in the right areas of the field.

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It is not fair to ask a pack to attack between the tramlines, try and pass through a French blitz defence in its own third of the pitch. It is nigh-on impossible. For the life of me, I can’t understand why Scotland thought that was a good idea, why messages didn’t arrive from coaches to change strategy, or why the leaders on the pitch didn’t problem-solve as things deteriorated.

I haven’t seen Townsend or Scotland get things so tactically wrong since the World Cup. They were crucified.

The knives have come out for Finn Russell again this week after his kick to Antoine Dupont and ambling return as Paul Willemse crashed over. People have called him lazy and questioned his work rate. In its entirety, though, that try was an example of the panicked mayhem that peppered Scotland’s play.

The kick-chase was so fragmented as Russell and Darcy Graham raced after the ball, leaving a straggly mess of team-mates trailing behind. Russell and Graham were detached from any defensive chain, just encouraging France to counter. And if you kick down the throat of the best player in the world, and offer him a fractured defensive line, you are inviting madness to your doorstep. There were so many similar brain-fart moments from Scotland.

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I know how Russell will be feeling right now. When I was 18, playing for Glasgow against Cardiff at the Arms Park, I watched a kick from a Cardiff player sail over my head. Standing in their half, in my youthful naivete, I thought our full-back would punt it back long, and by staying where I was I’d be in a good position. So back I strolled. Come the Monday morning review session, up went the clip for all to see: me, lumbering slowly along without a care in the world.

‘What are you thinking here?’ asked the coaches. ‘Why aren’t you part of the team?’

It was humiliation, but humiliation I needed. It was also the last time I walked on a rugby pitch. And it taught me a valuable lesson about work rate, being there for your team-mates, being hard to break down as a defensive unit. One error in a kick-chase from Russell and Graham has been compounded by a lack of effort to get back and defend the try line.

Scotland player ratings
Scotland’s Chris Harris, Sione Tuipulotu and Finn Russell (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group via Getty Images)

It’s horrible, but for the man in question, it is multiplied 100 times over. I wanted the ground to swallow me up that Monday morning because of the shame I felt in front of my team-mates. There were only 40 of us in the room. Russell has had it all over social media, his performance savaged and his attitude doubted. I absolutely know what he is feeling and it’s grim. Having played, trained and worked with him, this was a momentary blip that happened on the worst of occasions. I know he’ll endeavour to right that wrong – he is constantly thinking about rugby and trying to get better.

Inevitably, there will be more questions asked about Scotland’s mentality, and whether this group will ever seriously challenge for a title.

After Scotland lost in Cardiff, Matt Williams – who has the lowest win percentage of any Scotland coach – advised the Scots to “shut up” until they “action out their talk”, referring to a hype and arrogance that doesn’t actually exist among any of the players.

Most Scottish rugby folk will have ignored the notoriously bombastic Australian. Plenty will have laughed. I was only involved with one camp during his tenure, my first with the national team. As we gathered for the first meeting, he had us stand like registration at school. Then it went something like this:

‘Who has taken their protein shake today? If you haven’t, sit down.’

A few boys sheepishly took their seats.

‘Who has brought their diary to this meeting? If you haven’t, sit down.

‘Who has had their ice bath? If you haven’t, sit down.

‘Who has done their video analysis? If you haven’t, sit down.’

He wanted to stress how horribly unprofessional everybody was, without really offering any tactical or strategic help. It was just lambasting players. And if you’re wondering, the only person left standing was Chris Paterson.

Now, I don’t know Matt at all, but it is frustrating to hear, statistically, the worst Scottish coach of all time slamming Gregor Townsend, who is statistically the best.

Saturday was a more chastening experience for Scottish fans than any verbal broadsides Matt could launch. A reality check after the positivity of that Calcutta Cup win on the opening day, which already feels like a long time ago. The comprehensive French win was a back-to-Earth moment in terms of where Scotland really are.

Matthieu Bastareaud
Mathieu Bastareaud (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

I worked alongside Mathieu Bastareaud, the great French rugby icon, at Murrayfield. Though I say ‘worked alongside’, in actual fact, I spent most of the day acting as Bata’s unofficial photographer. I lost count of the number of fans who came up to us and asked me, ‘here mate, can you take this picture?’. It’s safe to say the big man’s celebrity status far outshines my own, even in Scotland.

Bastareaud did not always enjoy his spells with the national side, and what struck him most was the delight the French boys took from the game. How well they’ve been prepared, how settled they are, and how they demolished Scotland. He couldn’t believe how easy it was, away from home. It was evident among the partying away fans too, many of them combining kilts and berets, Irn Bru and beers in a uniquely compelling Gallic/Gaelic sartorial fusion. The French have fallen back in love with their team after an on-off relationship this past decade.

 

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I caught up with Greg Alldritt, Julien Marchand and Anthony Jelonch for a few beers in town after the game. They wouldn’t want to appear disrespectful, but while they said it was tiring when Scotland put the ball from side to side, it felt pretty comfortable defensively. They are very at ease out of possession, and they didn’t look stretched at any point. For them it was almost like ticking a box. It couldn’t be further form what you might associate with the shooting-star, Jekyll-and-Hyde French tendencies of old. This is machine-like.

Other teams will have watched Saturday’s comprehensive victory and grimaced. They will learn to refuse the physical arm wrestle with the French because it’s just not possible to win it. For Scotland, it’s too late. Their goal to ball-play, mount multi-phase attack and manipulate France better than Ireland or New Zealand managed backfired spectacularly. It was virtually suicidal.

It’s a very harsh lesson to learn, live, in front of 67,000 people and millions more on television, but that is exactly what happened to Scotland.

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Oh no, not him again? 1 hour ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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