Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

How Gregor Townsend rated new Scotland recruit Ben Healy and his spiral kicks

By PA
Ben Healy (Getty Images)

Gregor Townsend heaped praise on Ben Healy after the stand-off marked his first start for Scotland by staking a strong claim for a place in the World Cup squad.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 24-year-old – handed the number 10 jersey in a much-changed team – kicked 10 points and was involved in two of the Scots’ three tries as they defeated Italy 25-13 in the first of four warm-up matches for the showpiece in France in the autumn.

Healy, who made his international debut as a substitute at home to the Azzurri in the last game of the Six Nations in March, is widely deemed to be vying with fellow fly-half Adam Hastings for a spot in Townsend’s 33-man squad, which will be named in mid-August.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

“I thought he was excellent,” the head coach said of the Ireland-born stand-off, who has moved from Munster to Edinburgh this summer. “To play at 10 you need to have a confident temperament, you need to be calm when things aren’t going well for you, and he showed both of those.

“His kicking was outstanding. Those spiral kicks, you could sense the crowd thinking, ‘ooft, we don’t often see this’. On a couple of them, it changed us winning a penalty in the 22 and maybe getting to the halfway line to actually being in their 22.

“He delivered at the end there with two good passes that led to Ollie Smith making the break and Cam Redpath putting away Josh Bayliss (for the third try).”

Townsend was delighted to see talismanic winger Darcy Graham return to the Test arena with a double after he missed the Six Nations with a knee injury.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 26-year-old – in his first international outing since his hat-trick against Argentina in November – took his try tally for Scotland to 18 with a couple of clinical touchdowns.

Related

“It was great that he got a game (for Scotland),” said Townsend. “He missed the Six Nations and we just need to get him and the back three more ball.

“He didn’t need to do much for his scores, but it shows his instinct for the tryline. Especially the second one, he still has to finish that, but it was created by a solid scrum, a really good carry by Stafford McDowall.

“The first one was a solid lineout maul then a really good kick from Ben Healy. That’s sometimes the way for wingers, but Darcy can create other things with his footwork and pace.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Graham, who returned to action towards the end of the season with Edinburgh, is likely to be given further game time in the upcoming double-header against France as Townsend bids to get his strongest team primed for their opening World Cup match against South Africa in Marseille in six weeks.

“There’s a lot around the World Cup squad selection but really the important thing is to get the team out there to play these big games so we go into the South Africa with a team that’s gelled together and played in big games,” he said.

“France are hosting the World Cup and they’re full of confidence so we’ll be putting out as strong a team as possible over the next two weeks and the way Darcy’s played for us in the last few seasons, he’s obviously going to be very much in the mix for that.”

Townsend gave several fringe men an opportunity against Italy and was asked if any performances had altered his thinking with regard to finalising his World Cup squad.

“I’d need to have a deeper look at it,” he said. “Games will obviously weigh heavily on our selection discussions but we’ve trained for seven weeks now, and what players have done in training is really important.

“Sometimes, it just might not go your way in a game. We’ve got to understand that too.

“I was really pleased with the bench. To come on and make an impact in the first game of the season, a Test match, a lot of credit goes to them.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 42 | Investec Champions Cup Final Review

Saitama Wildknights vs Kubota Spears | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Semi Final Replay

Spain's Incredible Rugby Sevens Journey to the World Championship Final | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 14

Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
Solenn Bonnet 16 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Mick Cleary: 'There will be a battle royale for all the shirts over the coming weeks' Mick Cleary: 'There will be a battle royale for all the shirts over the coming weeks'
Search