We are used to sports teams not saying anything that might rile up their opponents these days but Scotland seem to have thrown that rule book out the window.
With Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell watching this one from the stands, it is perhaps not surprising that Scotland arrive in Dublin in the mood for an upset. Add in the fact that the last time they were here the managed to get a late win (23-20 in Croke Park in 2010), and that they beat us in the pre-World Cup warm up back in August, and they may well be justified in that belief.
But there is a big difference between feeling confident, and saying you’re confident, which is what Scotland centre Graeme Morrison told the media today. Morrison was talking to the Press Association about their 2010 Six Nations win in Croker and he then slipped in how sure Andy Robinson’s men are of doing the deed again on Saturday.
“We’d not won going into that game, very much the underdogs, but we went and put on a brilliant performance against a very strong Irish team,” he said of 2010 success.
“That’s what it’s going to take this week as well. I’ve got full belief in the whole squad of 22 guys. I firmly believe they all do as well. It’s just putting together all the pieces into one performance.
“I believe that if we do that then we’ll turn them over. There’s a pretty confident feeling in the squad.”
Then Robinson got in on the act, advising the referee Chris Pollock to watch out for our sneaky tactics.
“This weekend the breakdown is going to be huge and we’ve got to be able to deal with their ‘choke tackle’,” said Robinson.
“And the referee is going to have to be able to deal with it as well. What I’d like him to do is be clear when he calls a maul, and we have to be able to get speed of ball from it, which is for us to sort out.
“But the referee has to be clear when it is a maul, which occurs when two people from either side are involved with it.”
For a side without a win in the Six Nations, they certainly do talk a lot. Anyway, it sounds like an easy pre-match speech now for new Irish captain Rory Best.
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