With just days to go until Scotland’s opening game against mighty South Africa, we gathered former Scottish captains Ryan Wilson, Andy Nicol and Jason White to discuss the key talking points for the tournament.
Which players have impressed them in the build-up, what chance Scotland have against the Springboks, concerns about a slow start – and what England can achieve after a nightmare summer are all covered…
What do you think is the most important thing Gregor Townsend will have taken from the four World Cup warm-up games?
Ryan Wilson: I think he will have realized that his team is much more resilient now than it used to be. There were times when things didn’t go well in the home games against France and Georgia, but the team dug out. In the away game against France, Scotland didn’t win, but we held on and pushed the French to their limits. That takes character and resilience. The team is now also much more settled than in 2019.
Scotland showed a lot of character in the warm-up games against France and Georgia
Andy Nicole: No injuries to key players. I think we were all concerned when Finn Russell was selected for the game against Georgia, but he came through and we look relatively injury free. I was pleased with the way the team’s offensive form improved and with the understanding of each player’s role within the offensive game. The defense was very strong for the most part, quite disciplined and delivered with real intensity.
Jason White: That the whole team of players understands each other and how he wants them to play. We look fit and powerful, which is key to how Gregor wants us to play. The players who have been redeemed and the players who have the impression of being the first pick know that they have to be at the top to get selected or their place in the team will be in jeopardy.
Which players stood out and impressed you the most?
RW: Kyle Steyn. I think he’s been absolutely outstanding, not just in the last few games, but back to the Six Nations this year. He is now captain of Glasgow and has really grown into a top player.
I know Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe have nailed the jerseys as Scotland’s wingers, but Steyn is breathing down their necks. Rory Darge was also brilliant and George Horne added some good pace to the attack coming off the bench.
A: Basically the usual suspects. Finn Russell was class and showed his passing and kicking skills. Our back three of Duhan van der Merwe, Darcy Graham and Blair Kinghorn were very good, with Kyle Steyn not far behind.
Richie Gray seems to be getting better with age and Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey have their noses ahead of Hamish Watson and Matt Fagerson in the back row.
JW: Finn Russell for me was the standout and probably the form clash in all the warm up games. His variety of passing, his kicking and his rugby intelligence are on another level.
In the forwards, Jack Dempsey was excellent and really came into a match. His ability to keep moving forward and reach the crucial attacking margins will be vital against both South Africa and Ireland.
Scotland got off to a slow start to their home games against France and Georgia last weekend. Will that be a concern for Gregor Townsend and what needs to change to make sure that doesn’t happen against South Africa?
RW: We didn’t start those games well and you can’t get away with that against South Africa. But we have shown resilience and the ability to turn the tide. It’s not always easy to solve problems on the field. It shows a team that matures nicely and has good leaders.
Winger Kyle Steyn pushes Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe for a World Cup spot
A: That could certainly be the case, but Gregor Townsend will emphasize that they started the game against France very well in Saint-Etienne. There is no doubt that Scotland cannot afford a bad start to the games against South Africa or Ireland as these two teams are so good and so experienced that they could quite easily deprive Scotland of the game.
JW: It will be a major concern if we let South Africa build up a lead on the scoreboard. Trying to win back anything over seven points against the Boks will be incredibly difficult. Their composure, work rate on defense and physicality are their X factor. They know how to win big games and World Cups, with defense being the foundation of their game.
For me it is crucial to get the basics down in the first 20 minutes, find a way to build pressure through territory and possession and see our forwards get chances.
The Springboks look like they’ve hit top form after smashing Wales and the All Blacks in recent weeks. What are your thoughts on this and how can Scotland hurt them?
RW: If you had asked me a few weeks ago I really felt we had a chance to beat South Africa. Then they are going to absolutely destroy the All Blacks and Wales. They are probably the form team that goes to the World Cup.
Some people criticized them for the 7-1 split on the bench against the All Blacks, but I actually admired the innovation. They push the boundaries and try new things. I don’t mind, but Scotland clearly need their A-game to beat them.
A: Power, power and more power! South Africa is so strong, so physical in the way they play with or without the ball. They want a game based on rules, lots of scrums and lineouts, so they can bring even more power and physicality into play to win penalties. This either results in three points or a field position and another lineout to exert their power.
Scotland will have to attack very accurately and find the space that South Africa leaves behind with its quick defence. There’s no one better in world rugby at scanning what’s happening in front of them than Finn Russell, but he’s going to have to have a blinker.
JW: At the moment they look like the form team in the warm-up games. It takes a special team to get 30 points past New Zealand.
Scotland’s forwards must at least match them in the scrum, maul and lineout. If we let them get the dominance, it’s going to be incredibly hard to stop scoring. Scotland can hurt them because of our variety of attacks and the quality of our players. We have shown that we can score with both our backs and forwards against the best teams in the world.
Defending champions South Africa issued a warning by destroying Wales and New Zealand
During the Lions tour a few years ago it was clear how much the team improved when Finn Russell came off the bench against the Boks early in the third Test. How can he inspire Scotland to victory?
RW: I recently spoke to Finn about this. I think Scotland’s game plan should be to play as quickly as possible, move South Africa and keep the ball away from their big forwards as much as possible. If we can do that for 80 minutes, we might have a chance.
A: The way he varies the attack sets him apart. He can be the first receiver and the next time he plays he becomes the second receiver and gets the ball just a little further away, which can upset even the best defense. He has to play his best game and the other fourteen players have to be right on his wavelength.
JW: Finn holds the key to unlocking the Boks’ defenses. His out-of-hand pass and kick mark him out as one of – if not the best – attacking standoff in world rugby right now. He is also an intelligent defender who hits harder than he looks. My money is on him finding the holes for our strike runners to exploit.
How important is this first game to set the tone? We had a terrible start to 2019 against Ireland. That just can’t happen again, can it?
RW: It’s so important. It was a terrible start for us in 2019 and from then on we always felt like we were catching up. You want to start the tournament with a good performance so that you have something to build on.
A: Absolutely not. Gregor Townsend has admitted that prior to that first game in Japan they did some things wrong and learned that very hard lesson. Scotland will be very happy with their warm-up games. They couldn’t have gone much better. What we have not seen is a complete 80-minute performance and that is required in the first game of the World Cup.
JW: The first games at any World Cup are crucial. The way the defeat happened in 2019 was the real problem. As long as the performance quality is there against the Boks, we’ll be going into game two in a good spot.
Our group is so incredibly difficult that we know we have to beat one of the top two teams in the world. Obviously we have the ambition and I believe we have the ability to win, but we need to perform as a team at about 95 percent of our capacity to have a chance of beating any of them.
What about England? Their preparations were pretty shabby, with disciplinary issues involving Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola, and defeats to Ireland and Fiji. What can we expect from them?
England, despite their shaky build-up, have been propped up to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup
RW: Everyone was butchering England last weekend, but I think you should also applaud Fiji. They were excellent. But yes, it was a terrible build-up for England. I expect them to lose in their opening match against Argentina before they do just enough to break out of their group. But I don’t really see them going much further than that.
A: Even with such a poor build-up, losing players to indiscipline and having no attacking play outside of their driving maul, because of the draw they have I still expect England to make it to the semi-finals which is remarkable. They have too many good players not to get better soon, but they will need a complete mindset change and maybe the players need to take more responsibility for how they play the game.
JW: England looks in absolute disarray. They seem so far off pace when it comes to understanding the game they want to play, both on offense and defence.
It’s easy to say from the outside, but the players need to take control and move things forward, right now they could be experiencing the worst ever World Cup by an English team. They can surprise and improve us, but the first game against Argentina looks beyond them.