Trusting the process. It sounds like a fine idea in principle: although it really depends if your process was any good in the first place.<\/p>\n
Gregor Townsend faced down a familiar cacophony of criticism after Scotland\u2019s opening defeat by Italy last month. The same old shortcomings had been exposed, it was said, and another year of disappointment beckoned. Townsend had insisted the embarrassing capitulation against Argentina in November<\/a>, from 21-0 ahead, was a \u201cline in the sand moment\u201d \u2013 only to see that line swiftly washed away in the sheeting Roman rain.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe in what we\u2019re doing, I believe in the players,\u201d Townsend said after the 18-15 reverse at Stadio Olimpico<\/a>. \u201cToday it didn\u2019t happen. We\u2019ve got to make sure it happens next week.\u201d The fans, frankly, had heard it all before.<\/p>\n It was a shambolic performance against Italy in many respects, with Scotland\u2019s error count making them unable to recover from the Azzurri\u2019s exemplary start. But Scotland did make it happen the following week and now, after wins against England, Wales and, most spectacularly, France, it seems nothing was irretrievably broken after all.<\/p>\n Credit to the head coach for backing himself and his players, and specifically for the way they have stuck to their attacking principles since, almost literally in Grant Gilchrist\u2019s case, having their pants pulled down by Italy.<\/p>\n If last week\u2019s electrifying display against Les Bleus proved anything, it is that the surest route over the opponent\u2019s tryline is via keeping possession, passing intelligently, and deploying the kind of creative running lines and strike plays that will wrongfoot even the meanest defence.<\/p>\n Looming over the start of this tournament was a growing fear that after World Rugby\u2019s escort defender crackdown<\/a>, an increasing emphasis on contestable kicks risked ruining the elite game.<\/p>\n While Steve Borthwick and England double down on a one-dimensional kicking strategy, Townsend and Scotland demonstrated against France that passing, pace and attacking intent can conjure the most remarkable results and the most memorable matches<\/a>.<\/p>\n A first Six Nations<\/a> title is tantalisingly within reach \u2013 but Scotland are likely to face a familiar problem in Dublin. It doesn\u2019t matter how good your backline is, or how well rehearsed your strike moves are if possession is cut off at source.<\/p>\n Gregor Townsend has turned Scotland\u2019s fortunes around after defeat to Italy in their opening Six Nations game. Photograph: Brendan Moran\/Sportsfile\/Getty Images<\/p>\n France were curiously lacklustre in defence at Murrayfield but Andy Farrell, the Ireland head coach, has reverted to the same selection as for England at Twickenham. We know how that turned out<\/a>, and no team has suffered more in the face of Ireland\u2019s considerable power than Scotland.<\/p>\n Ireland\u2019s back row \u2013 particularly the captain Caelan Doris \u2013 were at their destructive best against England. If they can raise their collective intensity to similar levels, it will be a very difficult day for the visitors.<\/p>\n But Scotland\u2019s captain, Sione Tuipulotu, explained on Friday why he believes this could be different. \u201cI\u2019ve come to the Aviva in the past where maybe it seemed a little bit more like hope [than expectation],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere our strength comes from as a team is the hard stuff we\u2019ve been through. To be resilient in those times is what gives me the most confidence that we\u2019ll be the best version of ourselves tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Kicking will be important, but the breakdown arguably even more so, given the visitors\u2019 laudable plan to run the ball. If they are to impose their style they will need another big performance from Rory Darge. The back-rower has the most turnovers in the tournament \u2013 eight \u2013 with Ireland\u2019s Stuart McCloskey (seven) and Tadhg Beirne (six) second and third respectively.<\/p>\n Darge, who will play openside next to Jack Dempsey at No 8 and Matt Fagerson on the blindside, also tops the individual jackalling chart with six (Beirne is second for the Six Nations, with five: he slots into the second row, with Jack Conan covering blindside flanker).<\/p>\n Scotland\u2019s locks, Gilchrist and Max Williamson, are sure to have their hands full against Beirne and Joe McCarthy, who has also been in fearsome form.<\/p>\n It is the team statistics, though, which demonstrate kicking rugby is not necessarily winning rugby. Scotland have the lowest kick metres, the fewest kicks in play, and the joint-most carries at this tournament: 590, level with France.<\/p>\n Ireland, of course, have had quite the journey themselves in recent weeks. Crushed by France<\/a> on the opening night, they laboured past a fast-improving Italy before marmalising England<\/a>. Victory against Wales was duly delivered, putting them within striking distance of France, who remain title favourites, and Saturday\u2019s visitors.<\/p>\n It is more than nine years and 11 matches since Scotland experienced anything other than painful defeat against Ireland. If they back themselves to move the ball as they did against France \u2013 and achieve a similar result \u2013 Townsend\u2019s trust in his process will truly be vindicated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Trusting the process. It sounds like a fine idea in principle: although it really depends if your process…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":344978,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[61,60,112],"class_list":{"0":"post-344977","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-ie","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=344977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/344978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=344977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=344977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=344977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}