Well, I Think We Will Win, But, There Will Be Some Uncomfortable Moments Along The Way

WE Scots do not suffer from the curse which so-often bedevils our English and Welsh cousins, when it comes to Rugby Union – expectation.

This afternoon's Scotland squad

In rugby, as in football and cricket: England expects; each time an England team steps on to the park, their huge fan base, and more-particularly (although it is long obsolete entity) “Fleet Street” expects victory. “You are England, you invented the bloody game, you ought to win”, is the cross which the England XI or XV have to bear. And woe betide them if they fail.

The same attitude holds good whenever a Welsh rugby team leaves the dressing room. Sure, England invented the game, but, when it crossed the Severn, star dust was sprinkled on it. The outside-half factory may be on short time, but, the spirit of Cliffie, of King Barry, Gareth, JPR, Benny and Jiffy lives on. The opposition never beats Wales – they only score more points than the men in red.

 Wales's problem - they cannot all be Barry John

To a certain extent, that attitude clings-on in Scottish football, in spite of the reality of a couple of generation of under-achievement and failure, but, even on those rare occasions when Scottish rugby has been good, we have always known, in the back of our minds – it won't last.

The wind may be more-often in our Caledonian faces than at our backs, but, as we await this afternoon's BT Murrayfied clash with Samoa, there is not the confidence abroad which ought to surround the world's 6^th ranked team, at home to the 16^th ranked.

I expect we will win today, but, I cannot put my hand on my heart and say this with absolute confidence. And my reason for a degree of trepidation – our front row.

Certainly, we have talent in our “piano shifters” in the backs, The all-Glasgow back seven are as good a unit as you might wish for. They have pace, invention, defensive nous and a flair for the exciting and unpredictable. We have a combative and industrious back row; Ben Toolis is as good a line-out operator as there is, while Jonny Gray, at his best, is the defensively resolute, hard-yard-winning going forward any scrum wants in its boiler-house.

But, up at the sharp end, well, forrit tho' Ah canna see, Ah guess and fear. I can understand the raise WP Nel gets almost every time he steps onto the park. So much of what goes one in the front row is unseen, and often not understood by those not actually at the coal face, but, I would like to see him a bit more obviously dominant.

I know, he seldom creaks or bends, but, while he is quietly efficient, I want to see more evidence of his dominance. However, it is to his left that we have cause for trepidation. Stuart McInally seems to be putting Ross Ford's long years of dominance, as the automatic choice in the middle of the Edinburgh front row into the “history” bracket. Can he confirm his international credentials? Will he offer Gregor Townsend an alternative to the currently injured first-choice, Fraser Brown.

Will McInally hit his jumpers at the touch-lines, and will they be on the same beat as him with their lifts and movements. Even Ford has struggled over the years in the lines-out. If McInally can be at the heart of a Scottish improvement in this department, his future is bright.

Then we have the man in the number 1 shirt, Darryl Marfo, or Darryl Who? As he is known across Scottish rugby.

Darryl Marfo - following in some famous footsteps

For most of the 60-years over which I have been watching Scotland, we have had superb loose-heads. It's like reading Deuteronomy: Hughie McLeod begat Norman Suddon, who begat Ian McLauchlan, who begat Jim Aitken, who begat David Sole, who begat Tom Smith, who begat Ryan Grant, who begat Alasdair Dickinson.

But, since a change of Laws got under Grantie's skin and Dicko began to pick-up injuries, well, we have had our problems. I am an unashamed fan of the currently injured Gordy Reid, and I still say releasing him was a mistake by Dave Rennie – without him and with replacement Ollie Kibble injured, Glasgow's scrum has creaked.

Meanwhile, across at Myreside – Dicko is still missing, Allan Dell, who genuinely surprised me with the way he stepped-up to the mark and, geographic assistance or not, did a job when called-on by the Lions, is also out, while Rory Sutherland, who looked set to carry-on the Hawick tradition of very good props when first introduced, is not yet back to full match-sharpness, which means Marfo has, in a matter of weeks gone from second-team rugby in England to a debut cap.

We hope he is up to the task, but..... Then there is the back-up, Jamie Bhatti of Glasgow, like Marfo until 3pm today, uncapped. John Humphries across at Scotstoun and Dan McFarland at Murrayfield both rate him. I am not so sure. He never impressed me with Melrose last season, when I rated him as perhaps only the third or fourth best loose-head in the Premiership. Good luck to the boy, when, as he surely will, he comes on sometime in the second half today, but, as with Marfo, playing him is a bit of a risk.

Mind you, with the attrition rate at the coal face these days, we are maybe lucky we have as-many Scots to pick from, but, we do not know, for sure, the men we have called on are up to the job in hand.

But, we on the side lines, we are the Tartan Army, Rugby Union Division. We have been here before, I expect there will be one or two keeking through our fingers moments, a few major concerns around our five metres line, but, I still think, when the final whistle blows, we will be celebrating a victory – perhaps not by much, but, a win just the same. Then we can begin to worry about facing the All Blacks next up.