To change or not to change; it’s always a tricky decision for a rugby coach, particularly after a defeat. After bringing in seven new players between the Wales and Ireland games, however, it looks as though Andy Robinson, the Scotland head coach, is set to stick close to the same side when the team travels to Twickenham this afternoon.
That means that the key decision as to who plays at fly half will go the way of Ruaridh Jackson, who produced an uncharacteristically nervous performance against Ireland. But yesterday one of the senior coaches with the Scotland party publicly backed the young player’s ability to bounce back and demonstrate why he has won his place in the starting XV in the first place.
“It was the right decision to give Jacko a start and even though he didn’t play his best, it is important that he gets another chance,” Graham Steadman, the defence coach, said. “It would not be right to say, ‘You’ve had your first full cap, it didn’t work out as we would have liked in all aspects’, and then dump him.”
The strange thing about Jackson was that after being brought into the side to bring attacking flair to the team, he actually played like a poor-man’s version of the Dan Parks of old, lying far too deep while kicking far too often, and without the accuracy of his former Glasgow mentor. It was only when Parks came off the bench and got in the faces of the Ireland defence that the Scotland supporters were treated to the kind of game they had been promised from Jackson.
On top of that, as Steadman pointed out, Jackson was also well short of his usual solidity in defence. “He missed four one-on-one tackles, three in front-line defence, which at this level is not acceptable,” he said. “Jacko knows that he has to step up this week and I’m sure he will, we cannot afford to have the players on either side of him worrying what he will do. I have every confidence in the guy, that is why I have backed him to do a job this week.”
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With Jackson staying, the changes will be minimal, though Joe Ansbro is fit again and could return at centre while Hugo Southwell is also expected to be available for selection after slashing his cheek open against Wales.