'We're not going to die wondering' against Ireland, warns Scotland's Jamie Ritchie

Gregor Townsend's side will 'fire every bullet in our gun'.

DETERMINED: Scotland's Jamie Ritchie during the Captain's Run at the Stade de Nice earlier in the tournament. Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire.

Three times yesterday a Scottish coach or player was asked if this was the biggest challenge of their careers. Three times the answer was designed to divert the conversation elsewhere. There was no need for a rooster to crow three times: there is no denying it.

Gregor Townsend has been head coach for six years. He has delivered some great days and weeks for the team and for the nation but an inability to stitch enough of them together has left them marooned on a mezzanine level between potential and achievement.

Six Nations campaigns have waxed and waned with standout victories against England, France and Wales that were tarnished by too many failures. Ireland have done more than anyone to prevent the Tartan Army’s march from hitting fifth gear.

Eight times in a row they have had their number. Townsend has never beaten Ireland in this role but he is leaning on other totemic achievements as reason why this can be different and they can get the result they need to pip Ireland to a knockout place at this World Cup.

“Well, why not? The players have performed in massive games before, We were underdogs but we have broken records before, whether it was not winning in Paris, not winning at Twickenham, we hadn't beaten England for seven or years.

“This is another opportunity to break another record,” he explained. “We believe in them, we believe in where they are mentally as a group and where they are physically. They are ready to play their best rugby.” 

Scottish legend John Jeffrey described this as the best ever Scottish team in the week before the tournament started, but they fell to an 18-3 defeat against South Africa at the first attempt and Ireland’s defeat of the Boks leaves them with little wiggle room here.

Ireland must be beaten by eight or more points. Either that or the Scots win with a try-scoring bonus point. It’s 2007 since they had Ireland’s number by the margin needed here so it’s no wonder if the vast majority are of the mind that this is beyond them.

Townsend has promised a “fearless” Scotland, one with nothing to lose, and his captain Jamie Ritchie echoed those thoughts. They know they have been written off since the draw was made three years ago. This week’s doubting Thomases are nothing new.

“We’ve been written off against the top two teams in the world but, for us, we’re not going to die wondering,” said the back row. “We’ve got to fire every bullet in our gun and we’ve got to go out there and play our best game and it is in our hands from now.” 

Townsend sprung something of a surprise in naming Ali Price as his scrum-half. Ben White, his main man at No.9 for the bones of a year, doesn’t even make the bench. George Horne will provide backup instead.

That apart, the team is as expected with Rory Darge holding off the claims of Hamish Watson in the back row and Huw Jones again given the nod despite the suspicion that Chris Harris would make for a more effective buffer in the midfield.

The choice of a 6-2 split on the bench is not unusual for this Scotland team either. Luke Crosbie is the ‘extra’ forward, the reasoning being that quick ball will be crucial to their chances and an extra back rower would be useful in securing that.

Townsend played down the physicality of the Ireland-Springbok game when asked about it two weeks ago but referenced it yesterday. That and Ireland’s ability to stay in the fight during those periods when the world champions had them on the ropes.

It’s a trait that has been integral to the rise of Andy Farrell’s team and one the Scots would dearly love. Instead, they’re approaching this game on the back of that dreadful record in this head-to-head, even if Townsend insists it isn’t an issue this week.

“Those past results show what a good team Ireland are. They're number one in the world and we've not been able to beat them for a while, so that gets our focus even narrower on delivering our best performance to win.” 

Scotland: B Kinghorn; D Graham, H Jones, S Tuipulotu, D van der Merwe; F Russell, A Price; P Schoeman, G Turner, Z Fagerson;, R Gray, G Gilchrist; J Ritchie, R Darge, J Dempsey.

Replacements: E Ashman, R Sutherland, WP Nel, S Cummings, M Fagerson, L Crosbie, G Horne, O Smith.