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The vacant Scotland Number 8 throne and the five that would be king

Matt Fagerson /Getty

In Jamie Ritchie and Hamish Watson, Scotland boast two of European rugby’s premier flankers, rampant demons to quell who can burgle ball, scythe down opponents and lance through defensive lines, men who are performing at the very top of their game. To complete the back-row trident, Scotland need a number 8 to make the position his own.

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It is a berth of traditional bounty for the nation, but oddly enough, Gregor Townsend is still seeking the man who can force himself to the top of the pecking order and complement the brilliance of Ritchie and Watson.

Number 8 remains one of the few positions in the Scotland team that has not been truly nailed down since the World Cup, nor in the three games of the six-Test autumn programme. In 2020, Townsend has started Nick Haining (twice), Magnus Bradbury (twice), Matt Fagerson (once), and Blade Thomson (twice).
Scotland don’t have a ball-carrying colossus in the mould of Billy Vunipola or Louis Picamoles. Very seldom do they cultivate – or naturalise – players with these beastly physical attributes. Only Josh Strauss and Dave Denton would fall into that bracket in recent years. What they do have are lithe, dynamic loose forwards, athletes with brains and skills who can play at a high tempo and bring striking points of difference.

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Hamish Watson talks Lions 2021 with Big Jim:

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Hamish Watson talks Lions 2021 with Big Jim:

These are the players vying for the jersey, and what each of them brings to the table.

Blade Thomson
The man in possession for the wins over Wales and Italy, Thomson has yet to bring his considerable footballing talents to bear on Scotland duty. Of all the contenders, the rapid New Zealand-born Scarlet has the most exciting running game and ball-playing skill-set, and ought to be a fabulous option for Townsend.

His time in the UK has been blighted by the pervasive symptoms of brain injury following numerous unfortunately-timed concussions, as well as the horrific loss of a close friend.

Thomson’s two autumn performances were more workmanlike than wonderous – which is, frankly, in tune with Scotland’s highly effective style of late – but to really cement himself as first choice, he will need to show more.

Matt Fagerson
“This kid will be a Lion,” purred one of Fagerson’s Glasgow team-mates last year.

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Were it not for an ankle injury suffered in the shellacking of Georgia, he might very well have started those past two games. Still just 22, he has so much to like about his game and the scope for development and growth is tantalising.

Glasgow Warriors Cockerill
Matt Fagerson of Glasgow Warriors walks from the field after being shown a red card. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Fagerson has both ballast and agility in spades. While he is not a giant by modern rugby standards, he has clearly added slabs of beef to his physique without losing any of the nimbleness that sets him apart. His explosive footwork is outstanding, he has soft hands to augment his power game and leg drive and a relentless work rate.

He is already Glasgow’s go-to man on the carry, sometimes to his detriment when teams recognise that shutting him down removes the Warriors’ fulcrum, but coming up against the might of Leinster and Saracens and Exeter Chiefs will only enhance his talents.

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Now that Fagerson has regained fitness, he has been given another start against the mighty France. Seize his opportunity, and he can fortify his place at the top of the pile.

Nick Haining
Haining was one of Scotland’s oldest debutants in the professional era when he started the Six Nations opener in Dublin aged 29.

He shone that day, a hugely aggressive carrier who fits the ruggedness and abrasion of the new game plan. Scotland need big, nasty customers to implement that style and live with the brawn of the Test arena. Haining delivers that and more, an elusive runner and thunderous tackler. He might not hit a million rucks a game or plunder masses of turnover ball, but jackaling is not Scotland’s priority at eight with Ritchie, Watson and either Fraser Brown or Stuart McInally in their arsenal.

Edinburgh beat Glasgow
A Scotland Number 8 battle between Ryan Wilson and Nick Haining (Photo by Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)

Although he turned 30 in September, Haining is a relatively late entrant to the weekly rigors of the professional game, having joined Jersey in 2014 after being let go by the Western Force, and has many years of rugby in him yet.

Magnus Bradbury
Bradbury ousted Haining from the XV for the games against England and Italy, and remains a very attractive foil for Ritchie and Watson.

The problem for the Edinburgh juggernaut is his wavering form, the perception that he waxes and wanes too much in the throes of Test matches. At 6’4 and over 110KG, he is a real bruiser and a devastating runner. He was pivotal in the bonkers Twickenham comeback of 2019, and put in some fine displays earlier in 2020, notably in coming off the bench against France.

SRU Scotland Number eight
Scotland’s flanker Magnus Bradbury could be the next Scotland Number 8 (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Bradbury wasn’t sufficiently recovered from injury to make the autumn squad, and even had he been, Townsend may have left him to regain form and fitness at Edinburgh. At 25, if he captures the consistency of performance and truly harnesses his physical weaponry on a weekly basis, he could make himself a starter again.

Cornell du Preez
Du Preez has overcome two of the most heinous injuries in his time in Britain, either of which might have finished off other players. His foot was quite literally dangling off after a sickening leg break on Edinburgh duty six years ago, then on his Worcester debut in 2018, he fractured his larynx, struggled to breathe, and ate through a tube in his nose for six weeks.

Scotland Number 8
Valentin Calafeteanu of Timisoara Saracens vies with Cornell Du Preez (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

That he is able – physically and mentally – to play rugby again after this lot is incredible, never mind the kind of barnstorming displays he is delivering for Alan Solomons’ Warriors.

Du Preez is Worcester’s defensive bulwark in the back-row, allowing young captain Ted Hill to do much of the open-field galloping. His tackle counts are outstanding – he made more than 30 in a single game against Exeter Chiefs last term – and he has the all-court, off-loading game as well as belligerence.

Cast into the wilderness in the wake of a grim performance in Cardiff two years ago, at a time when he was still carrying too much beef post-leg break, Du Preez has roared back to form after the horrors of his throat trauma. Three substitute outings in 2020 show he has work to do to compel Townsend that he brings more than brutality off the bench.

Beyond those five, Ryan Wilson has not featured since the World Cup. While he still longs to represent his country and breach the 50-cap milestone, at 31, the Glasgow co-captain will have to produce some scintillating form and perhaps require injuries to his rivals to move Townsend to pick him again.

Adam Ashe was one of the top performers in the early days of Dave Rennie at Glasgow, but fell out of the team, got injured, and will soon be playing in America’s Major League Rugby. Bruce Flockhart is a titanic prospect with speed, size and footballing acumen, but is taking time away from the sport.

Fagerson, now that he is fit again, is leading the pack, but there is very little in it. There may not be a candidate towering head and shoulders above the rest, but the competition is ferocious, and competition will only yield gains.

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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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