- Scotland finished fourth in the Six Nations after winning two of their five matches
- Former Wales captain Sam Warburton criticized Gregor Townsend’s side
- Warburton blasted Scotland’s attitude and mentality in scathing attack
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Former British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton has branded Scotland “arrogant” and lacking the “mindset of a championship team” after accusing two unnamed players of drank beer at a reception after this year’s victory in Wales – while wearing full kit and flip-flops.
Warburton felt the actions after Scotland’s first win in Cardiff since 2002 were “culturally shocking” and explained why Gregor Townsend’s side failed to mount a sustained challenge for this year’s Six Nations Championship.
The former Wales captain also felt that Scotland would “never win a championship with this group of players”, in a damning assessment of the team made both in his newspaper column with The Times and then again on the BBC’s Rugby Union Daily podcast.
He said: “Scotland? It’s always the same thing, unfortunately. They were competitive again but I don’t think they will ever win a championship with this group of players. It’s just not there. I know they had a bad hand against France, but to go to Italy and lose like they did shows that they lack that last bit of ruthlessness, that killer mentality, to be a championship winning team .
“I don’t know how they find that. I worry about their state of mind and I saw an example after the win against Wales that really worried me, when two players came to a post-match reception still in their kit, drinking beer and acting like they beat a top team. win a title. They just seemed a little too arrogant.
Sam Warburton slammed Scotland’s team culture and ‘arrogant’ mentality in scathing attack
The Welsh icon has hit out at the actions of Gregor Townsend’s side following their victory against his country.
“I’m not going to throw these two players under the bus, so they will remain anonymous, but they were currently two senior players in the Scotland team. I remember watching it and, in my head, I went found it to be culturally shocking. They arrived, beers in hand, still in their kit, flip-flops on their feet, giving the big blow.
“Keep in mind it was just one win. They were doing these questions and answers and I thought they were really arrogant. I’ll be honest. I would never have accepted that from the players from a group I was involved in.
“I would have said, ‘Are these our standards?’ Let’s celebrate when we win something.
“I don’t know for sure but, to me, it told me there wasn’t really an advantage in the Scottish side.
“I was watching thinking this is how I would celebrate winning the World Cup. What I saw with Scotland, I think, is not the mindset of a team championship.
“I don’t want to sound too negative, but I just think if you want to be truly elite, you really have to act like you’re elite. I think maybe it’s a cultural thing.
Former England winger Ugo Monye echoed those sentiments and accused the Scots of celebrating too much after winning the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield.
He also questioned their attitude and said they would never win the Six Nations with this group.
Warburton felt standards needed to be much higher on Gregor Townsend’s side.
He said: “I know I’ve joked in the past that if they (Scotland) beat England they’ll have a holiday, but every joke is a half-truth.
“That’s the energy I get from Scotland and they’re too excited too fast. I’m trying to think: what is this based on? Is it based on the fact that you dominated this tournament or that you have won it several times? But that’s nothing.
“I keep receiving this message from this “golden generation”. We give them due praise, but for too long Scotland has failed to deliver on its promises.