MANY long, often painful years of watching Scotland struggle in football and rugby internationals has taught me - we really need, if we are to have a chance of winning at "Test" level, to have most, if not all, our top players in a team, if we are to win.
To quote football's Andy Roxburgh and Craig Brown: "There are no easy internationals these days". So, with that in mind - I fear for Scotland in Buenos Aires tomorrow night. This is simply because, we lack enough of our key men, particularly in the crucial decision-making roles.
Basically, we don't have enough "certainties" playing tomorrow night. Stuart Hogg would be in everyone's optimum Scotland team, ditto Sean Maitland, thereafter.....
OK, given his track record, Ross Ford SHOULD be a shoo-in at hooker; except, he hasn't been justifying that status for the past two seasons at least - he truly needs a huge game tomorrow.
Jo0nny Gray and new skipper Grant Gilchrist are the future, but, if we were playing England in a Six Nations match, would they be our starting lock pairing?
I still feel, IF all three were fit and firing on all cylinders, the "Killer Bees" would be our optimum back row trio - nowhere to be seen tomorrow. That said, I have nothing but admiration for Rob Harley, perhaps tomorrow night he will persuade Vern Cotter that he can do a regular job for Scotland, while Blair Cowan, if he can carry-on where he left off in Toronto, might give the new coach a selection headache.
Duncan Weir is another who needs a huge hour, while Grayson Hart's slick service could take him far.
I don't really fancy our chances too-much, but, Scotland has a history of under-rated teams clicking and over-achieving. Let's hope we can do this tomorrow.
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