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Scotland's plan for England: 'Get in their face and make it confrontational'

By PA
(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Scotland captain Stuart Hogg is relishing the challenge that awaits his team in their Guinness Six Nations opener against England at Twickenham. The Scots have not triumphed at English rugby headquarters since 1983 and they will face a side that won last year’s Six Nations and the Autumn Nations Cup.

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“If you give them time and space, they are going to be dangerous,” said Hogg, who missed recent gallagher Premiership club matches with Exeter due to a hamstring injury. “If you get in their face and make it confrontational, then it makes it for a tasty encounter.

“We are excited for it and we have got some great preparation time now to make sure we are in the best place possible to go down to Twickenham and pick up a win. It is a massive game for everybody involved in Scottish rugby and Scotland as a nation.

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“It is not often you get two weeks’ preparation for an international game, so we are excited about the challenge of going down to Twickenham and playing one of the best teams in the world.”

Scotland won three games in last year’s delayed Six Nations after a shaky start and they ended it with a first victory on Welsh soil for 18 years as Hogg and company edged a tight and tense encounter at Parc y Scarlets.

Wales are second on Scotland’s Six Nations agenda when they head to Murrayfield on February 13, but for now it is England that are looming large. Assessing the England challenge, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend said: “It’s the biggest game every year for us, for our players, but especially for our nation.

“It is a game we have played most regularly – 150 years this year – and we play for a trophy, so it is the biggest game. Coming as the first fixture means that the focus as we go into next week will be really sharp.

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We are playing one of the best teams in the world, a team that won last year’s Six Nations. There is no bigger (challenge) than England away. It is a tough one for the opener – a team that won last year’s Six Nations and the Autumn Nations Cup – on their own patch.

“But it focuses our minds. We know we will have to be at our best to be in a position to win that game, and we have always got to look at how we improve from our last campaign. We want to go through that process of working out how we can get better, and how we can beat England a week on Saturday.”

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours 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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