Press-ganged: The fallout from Scotland's Yokohama nightmare continues
Anyone who’s paid attention to Scottish rugby over the last 12 months will have noticed a propensity for big talk before games, usually followed by a backward retreat after the inevitable let down. Fighting words followed by soul-searching; that pattern has been the only thing that has been truly predictable about Scotland under Gregor Townsend.
Sunday's World Cup opening defeat to Ireland followed the pattern. Gregor Townsend assured us that Scotland were the fittest team in the world and playing the highest tempo rugby in the tournament while his forward coach, Matty Taylor, spoke about “smashing Johnny Sexton” with the quivering reverence of a guy who thought he’d just invented the concept of targeting the opposition’s fly-half.
The pattern of Big Talk and Soul Searching hasn't been lost on the Scottish media in the aftermath of Ireland’s 27-3 victory.
Steve Scott of The Courier posed some of the hardest questions in his post-match reflections: “Capitulating meekly in Nice, in the first of the four warm-up games, was easily explicable. In fact, it was a negative that would become a positive, in that it was the kick up the backside that was needed.
"Even allowing for this accommodating assessment, this first game of the tournament was therefore downright unforgivable.
"There was plenty evidence that Scotland got it tactically way wrong. They attempted to force an open game long before the Irish defence were ever on the back foot, if they ever were. Irish defenders were primed to fly up and get in the face of Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg, and with considerable success.”
The pressure is on for Townsend and his squad ahead of Monday's clash with Samoa. The questions around Townsend’s philosophy, and indeed his coaching ability at this level, will only grow as the Scots head towards the quarter-finals.
Iain Morrison in The Scotsman wrote: “The first unwritten rule of rugby is this: If you allow the opposition to bully you into submission, they will. The second rule is: You have to earn the right to go wide. Townsend ignored both and Scotland paid the price.”
An inevitable date with the All Blacks awaits Townsend and his squad but only if they can beat Japan, which is no guarantee as things stand this week.
Alasdair Reid, writing in The Times, isn’t confident of their chances should they make that date with All Blacks.
“In terms of population, history, sporting mix, social demographics and all sorts of other factors, there is a broad equivalence between Scotland and Ireland, but you would have struggled to identify signs of parity in Yokohama’s International Stadium on Sunday. In every aspect and by every measure, Ireland were far ahead of Scotland — far farther even than the 24-point winning margin would suggest.”
Tom English, writing for the BBC, said: “Scotland are sold on their own promise, which only rarely manifests itself. They win a few games and everybody gets giddy, including us in the media, who are so starved of positivity when reporting on this team that every big victory at Murrayfield is thought of as a turning point.”
“[Ireland] hard-bitten men, though. Relentless. Tough physically and mentally. Strength of character - and quality of player and coach - looks to be getting them through their slump. They're a re-emerging force that would have drunk in Scotland's chat and quietly fed off it.”
Whether any of Townsend’s or Taylor’s pre-game hype made it through the famous Irish “bubble” and onto the dressing room wall of the Yokohama Stadium isn’t known but whatever happened, questions are now being asked of the Scottish coaching group.
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