On Saturday night, Scottish RWC team player Finn Russell solved all rugby-related problems with a magic trick, if only for a while. Any worries about the level of equipment and brain damage, any disputes over management and funding, and myriad issues with the direction this turbulent sport is taking were melted away for a breathtaking 40 minutes as the former stonemason built an unbeatable lead for Scotland’s record. Rugby World Cup fans can buy Ireland Vs Scotland Tickets from our website.
If you weren’t Welsh you might have appreciated the perfection of what he was doing there. The delicacy of the hands, the precision of the crossed strokes, expert, vision, class. Brave. The ability to make all so easy and fun. Wales didn’t know what to do with Russell in the 2nd half. The try, which turned a difficult game early in the break, was Kyle Steyn’s first effort into the right corner as Russell beat 3 Welsh defenders before heading out the side goal as Sonny Bill Williams did on his best day.
He did it with such rapidity and such clarity that one never tires of looking at it. Russell delivered the final pass or kick on three of Scotland’s five attempts. He has assisted 10 tries in his last nine friendlies since the start of last year. It’s a number unmatched by any other top player in the same period. Russell, in turn, reminds us why we fell in love with rugby. Not for crashes or hard cases, they have their place but for artists. Defense coaches are now being hired before the Rugby World Cup event.
The game is full of pundits with laptops spewing out videos and data to help plan games of how to take down the likes of Russell, but happy are the days when offense trumps defense. And that was one. When Scotland started playing fast the visitors must have felt like they were playing Whack a Mole. No matter how many Scottish strikers they brought down, one always came back. Duhan van der Merwe didn’t score but ran 150 yards (almost 50 yards further than his tour de force at Twickenham).
Only Ireland’s Hugo Keenan beat him by a frankly ridiculous 205m against France in Dublin. Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu failed to score or assist like last week, but they were a constant threat. It wasn’t always what they did with the ball that drew Wales’ attention, it was fear of what they might do. Their reputation was before them. The least noticed member of this Scottish defense is undoubtedly Steyn, who scored twice before the RWC event.
Blair Kinghorn arrived early after Stuart Hogg missed HIA, running from behind with such power and determination that we can now officially declare the Blair Switch project dead. Kinghorn was, is, and always will be the most prolific at 15 and was so present during his 67 minutes on the pitch that one wondered if Gregor Townsend would not have considered pressing the nuke button. In Paris instead of Hogg. The first coaching lottery isn’t what it used to be.
For the sake of permanence and consistency, he will likely leave things as they are given the chance. However, Kinghorn off the bench has become one hell of a weapon. Rank had to roam for club and country for several months. The move from number 10 winger to full-back may have hurt his confidence, but the impact has been incredible. Despite being ejected in mid-air when the prodigal son returned in the fall, Kinghorn has one of the best performances of his life in his new role.
Scotland will need a nine out of 10 in Paris
The sophistication of the Scottish attack in the first two league games was admirable. Nine attempts were scored. All different ways, different skills, amazing solo races, epic team results, grunts, and grace. Trying to pick a favorite from among them is like trying to pick a favorite kid. Of course, Scotland had already suffered a brutal attack before the Rugby World Cup event. Rugby World Cup fans can buy Scotland Rugby World Cup Tickets from our website.
They also had poor defenses in 2020 and 2021. What they didn’t have often enough was that both offense and defense consistently worked towards a win at the same time. You get there. Even if they were all available, Rory Sutherland, Stuart McInally, Scott Cummings, Sam Skinner, Hamish Watson and Rory Darge would struggle to fit into this 23, let alone the starting XV. You may have to hurt others to do this. Surely those wounds will come as night follows day. Team depth is king.
You get nothing without it. And Townsend has it. With two bonus points won and some momentum, the Scottish RWC team is in a position they could hardly have dreamed of just over a week ago. But then it gets really hard. brutal yes They’re going to Paris in two weeks, and in two weeks they’ve got Ireland in Edinburgh. He’s ranked number two in the world and number one to just clash in one of rugby’s biggest matches. Townsend has rarely looked more confident or happier in his role than he does now.
He said Scotland went from 7-10 against England to 8-10 against Wales, but he believes it takes 9-10 to beat France. He didn’t say what it would take to beat Ireland but how Andy Farrell’s side has beaten France, South Africa, New Zealand (twice), Wales (twice), Scotland, Australia, and England in the past year, despite injuries of key players on the way, let’s call it a 10 or 11. France is now in the Scottish spotlight before the RWC event.
They had a tough win against Italy and a loss against Ireland which made them very angry. Losing such a close home Rugby World Cup to Scotland would cause quite a stir at a big show nearby. To prevent him from passing, a fierce French response is en route to the Scottish RWC team. There is no greater certainty. France will come for Russell and you will feel that Russell has no choice.
He’s back in Paris now and will most likely play for Racing against Brive next Saturday. The Brives are a dot under the ground, desperate for points and unlikely to take any prisoners. It’s going to be a match to watch with a strong drink and the fervent hope that The Man escapes unscathed. With him on board at the State a week later, the Scottish RWC team will be allowed to feel that whatever is possible.
Two wins do not make us world-beaters, says Scotland’s Matt Fagerson
Matt Fagerson says no one in the Scottish camp is happy with his strong start to the Six Nations. Scottish RWC team beat Wales 35-7 at Murrayfield after a superb win over England at Twickenham. But Glasgow second-row Fagerson says the toughest tests are yet to come. We’ve only won a few games on the rebound; that doesn’t make us world champions, he told the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast. Fagerson, 24, added: The most important thing right now is to introduce some consistency.
As a team, we made the most of our opportunities. We’re a very good team and I think that shows on the pitch. victories over England and Wales mark the first time the Scottish RWC team has won their first two league games since 1996. But Gregor Townsend’s side meets France Paris on February 26 ahead of home games against Ireland and Italy in March. We’ll play for world number two, then number one, added Fagerson before the RWC event.
France just finished a 13-game unbeaten streak, they beat the All Blacks, they beat South Africa, and they beat Ireland too. It’s an extremely difficult place to hang out in Paris, so it’s going to be a tough test. Home of Ireland then, number one in the world. All the years of hard work they have put in are now coming into their own and everyone seems to be on the same page. It will be a big test for us before the Rugby World Cup event.
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