Scottish boss out to ram rivals’ words down their throats

MATT Williams has vowed to make his side’s RBS 6 Nations rivals eat their disparaging words and restore some long-lost pride to Scottish sport.

The Scotland coach has had to hear other nations writing his players’ chances off before a ball has even been kicked in this year’s tournament.

Williams insists the well-documented troubles of the Scottish Rugby Union are wrongly affecting people’s judgement of the team. “You only have to go to the Six Nations launch and stick your nose in slightly above the parapet.

“Internationally our competitors and neighbours are speaking extremely disparagingly about what is occurring.”

Scotland open their Six Nations campaign against defending champions France in Paris today but despite the daunting nature of the fixture, Williams is convinced his players will make the country proud.

“It is important we come off the field on Saturday knowing we have made Scotland proud of this team. But it is very important for us to go there knowing that the world has written us off. That is very important to us. It is also important that we go there knowing that the Scottish nation needs some pride in the jersey and in rugby.”

But the big-talking Australian has warned his squad that the French will be as strong as ever despite their selection problems.

Coach Bernard Laporte has been forced to select a new-look back row and half-back pairing with injuries to Olivier Magne, Serge Betsen and number eight Imanol Harinordoquy and Williams has urged his players to forget about France and focus on their own game while showing all the courage needed to make the nation proud again.

“The French team are in the most fortunate position for any coach in the world in having the depth and the talent of French rugby. They can make so many changes and name no new caps. Every player already has a French cap so they are extremely experienced and still have great talent.

“We have a lot to play for in this particular fixture. It’s very important that we go to Paris and show great courage.”

For his part the French captain Fabien Pelous has insisted France need a good start to their RBS 6 Nations title defence well against wooden spoon holders Scotland.

Les Bleus are also eager to erase the disappointing autumn tour that saw them defeat Australia but suffer heavy losses to Argentina and New Zealand last November.

Winning the Six Nations again is more a matter of pride and ambition less than three years before the 2007 World Cup, which will be held in France.

“The objective is always to win the Grand Slam,” said Pelous, who is also the most capped French player with 96 appearances.

“But if we start the tournament badly this ambition will be destroyed.”

France have won their last six matches against the Scots, winning the last two by large scores in the 2004 tournament and the 2003 World Cup.

Coach Bernard Laporte claims this year’s tournament will be more open than ever and urged his side to be wary of Scotland.

“We know them and they are not easy to unsettle even though we beat them more than they beat us,” he said.

“This year’s tournament is very interesting for the northern hemisphere nations, it’s very open. France and England are the leaders but other sides have become serious contenders.

Changes to the French team will see Clermont Auvergne scrum-half Pierre Mignoni reunited with Castres fly-half Yann Delaigue.

The injuries in the third line to Olivier Magne, Imanol Harinordoquy and Serge Betsen have forced Laporte to select Julien Bonnaire, Sebastien Chabal and Patrick Tabacco at the rear of the scrum.

Clarification: BIARRITZ have been given until next Friday, February 11 to nominate a venue for their Heineken Cup quarter-final against Munster.

It was erroneously reported in yesterday’s paper that the deadline was two weeks away.