TALKING ABOUT RUGBY with Andy Nicol, Jason White and Calum Crowe
What do Scotland need to improve tactically compared to the 18-3 defeat to South Africa at last year’s World Cup?
Calum Crowe: We need to be smarter and show the ability to adapt to whatever South Africa throws at us. Scotland’s attack became too predictable and one-dimensional in that match in Marseille. The Springboks’ lightning defense completely stifled Finn Russell and put the Scottish flyhalf under enormous pressure every time he received the ball.
On that note, Russell probably still has nightmares about Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit. Scotland did not kick the ball close enough, something Russell referenced at the time. If South Africa continues to attack, it is logical that there is space behind. Russell’s variation in his kicking game is one of his greatest strengths. Scotland must give him the freedom to use it rather than sticking to a pre-arranged plan.
Andy Nicol: They need to take risks. We only created one chance when Darcy Graham broke the defensive line but was unable to make the crucial pass to score the try. Scotland may only have one chance on Sunday and they must take it.
South Africa’s defense is fierce. They attack on defense with great speed down the line, which puts great pressure on passes with their timing and precision. Finn Russell is probably the best passer in world rugby and he will have to do it all on Sunday for Scotland to win this game.
Jason White: For me, it’s less about being better tactically than in the World Cup and more about achieving a 9/10 or better performance. We know exactly how strong the Boks are and we have a good idea of how they will play. You have to start strong and play in the right areas of the field, be precise in the small details and transfer that to the points. Easy to say, much harder to do against the best team in the world.
Duhan van der Merwe will have to give his best for Scotland to surprise the world champions
South African Eben Etzebeth faces Scottish wing Jamie Ritchie in France last year.
Siya Kolisi and her South African teammates celebrate the country’s fourth World Cup win
How important is this match for Gregor Townsend’s future as head coach? Scotland had a poor World Cup and a poor Six Nations. You can’t afford a big defeat, right?
DC: It’s a huge game for Townsend. This is comfortably Scotland’s biggest (and toughest) game of the four autumn tests. South Africa is not invincible. They lost to Argentina in the rugby championship in September. This is also their first game of the autumn, so there is a chance that Scotland will catch them cold.
Townsend presided over a poor World Cup and then a Six Nations that saw just two wins in five games. We lost against Italy. A heavy defeat to the Springboks would only reinforce the feeling that this group of players is not progressing under his leadership.
A: It’s important because it’s the next game, but it’s against one of the best teams in the world, so expectations shouldn’t be too high. I want to see Scotland being hugely competitive at all times, matching the Springboks physically and tactically and taking advantage of home advantage. Being in the game in the last ten minutes is key to allowing the crowd to be a factor. A victory against one of the best teams is missing from Gregor’s coaching resume.
Jehovah’s Witness: For me, the key match in this series is Australia. At a minimum, we must be competitive in every home game we play. The playing group and coaches must believe they can win. If Sunday doesn’t go our way with a poor performance, then the Australian game will increase the pressure on Gregor and the other coaches.
Would this be the biggest victory of Townsend’s tenure if Scotland can pull it off?
DC: Undoubtedly. There have been big wins over the years under Townsend. Scotland won in Paris and Twickenham. They have won in Cardiff. They also put 50 points on a strong Wallabies team in 2017, shortly after he took over. But a victory over the two consecutive world champions would be the best. Scotland came close to beating the All Blacks in 2017 and 2022, but fell short on both occasions.
South Africa is world champion for a reason. For any team in world rugby right now, they represent the ultimate test. Talk to any former player who played in the win at Murrayfield in 2010, when the Boks were also world champions, and they’ll tell you it was probably the biggest win of their career.
A: One hundred percent. We should have beaten the All Blacks in 2022 and France in the Six Nations, but we didn’t, so a win against the team that won the last two World Cups could do with it. A difficult question.
Jehovah’s Witness: It probably would be. We have achieved some brilliant one-off victories, but beating the two-time world champions at home would be the best. We will have to work hard, our best players must produce the best and the Murrayfield crowd must support the boys.
Eben Etzebeth recently became the most capped Springbok of all time. Is he the best Bok to ever play? Who in the Scotland camp could match the aggression and physicality of the South Africa enforcer?
DC: Now it’s hard to argue otherwise. I understand that some people may still prefer someone like Francois Pienaar, who has a real emotional and sentimental pull to match his talent on the field after lifting the World Cup with Nelson Mandela.
But, as a two-time world champion and a man who has dominated his position for over a decade, Etzebeth is now the first for me. He is the complete package. Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha were the two enforcers in South Africa’s group when they won the World Cup in 2007. Etzebeth has not only taken on that role, he has raised the bar.
The most physically dominant and intimidating player in world rugby, there was a picture of him holding Scottish captain Jamie Ritchie by the throat in the match in Marseille last year. It felt emblematic not only of that game, but of Etzebeth’s career.
A: He would be in the conversation, but so would the likes of Pienaar, Bryan Habana and Joost van der Westuizen, to name just three. We simply don’t have anyone like Etzebeth, but then again, who does? South Africa has many important players. We have players who have different strengths, like Jack Dempsey and Matt Fagerson.
They don’t use their bulk to cross the gain line, they use their footwork and try to hit a “soft shoulder” to get on the front foot. They can match Etzebeth’s aggressiveness but not his physicality. The best thing about rugby is that there are different ways to play it and the Springbok way is not the only one.
Jehovah’s Witness: We’ve never really had anyone compare to Eben. We just don’t produce players like him! Gilco (Grant Gilchrist) and Dempsey will be the ones who set our physical standards in the forwards and Sione Tuipulotu and Duhan van der Merwe must do the same job at the back. As for Eben being the greatest player of all time, it’s probably too early to say. If he can win another World Cup, maybe he will get that accolade.
What about the Scotland team? Darcy Graham being governed is a huge coup. Who replaces him in the last three? Should Townsend opt for a six-two split to match South Africa’s physicality?
DC: It was brilliant to see Darcy Graham back in action last week and scoring four tries. He is a big loss for Scotland every time he doesn’t play and has unfortunately been ruled out due to a failed EIS. If Kyle Rowe’s hamstring holds up, I would likely put him on the wing in a straight swap to minimize any further disruption.
Blair Kinghorn could play at full-back, as he has done at times for Toulouse, and then Rowe could also play at full-back. Rowe has done well for Scotland every time he has played, especially in the victory over Wales in Cardiff this year. Harry Paterson is another option and stood out in his debut against France. But I would choose Rowe. In terms of the six-two division, I’m not sure Scotland have enough quality or depth up front to justify that approach.
The best policy may be to try to stay in the game for an hour, wait for South Africa to get a little tired, and then try to pick up the pace with ball in hand in the final 20 minutes. I would go for a more conventional five-three split.
A: The selection is quite simple for me. Ben White, Finn Russell and Blair Kinghorn return to the backline and the forwards are the same as they started last week. If Kyle Rowe is okay, play. I would go with a six-to-two split because we have players like Adam Hastings and Jamie Dobie who can cover multiple positions.
Jehovah’s Witness: Losing Darcy is a big blow. I think a six to two split is the way we should go, be bold and match the physicality of our opponents. Kinghorn will be back and hopefully Rowe can step up to play at full-back. Sunday will be a great game.
