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Archives for November 2010

Something's afoot for Andy Robinson and Scottish rugby

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John Beattie | 16:00 UK time, Monday, 29 November 2010

The problem for Scotland now is that will be chapping on door to coach them on their next tour. is the manager of Down Under 2013 and he must see what is happening.

But let's leave that subject for another day.

Sometimes you just get lucky. Sitting on the train on the way back from looking at the cars parked on the A90 all the way from to Gleneagles and imagining the real hardship with which they were presented, reminded me that pure luck, in my case, drove me to buy a train ticket.

. But, as stepped up to kick the winning penalty with seconds remaining, I was reminded that sometimes, just sometimes, you need a substitute player from the opposition to try to pick a ball off the ground in a ruck, within kickable range, and present a local hero with the chance to win a match.

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Reasons to be cheerful as Scots down Springboks

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John Beattie | 15:42 UK time, Sunday, 21 November 2010

Does Scottish rugby at last have strength in depth?

I live opposite a pitch and, as I write, the mini rugby boys and girls have an extra swagger because their national team and have now won four out of the last five matches.

talks of inspiring a nation and that's what his team did.

What was it down to? Well, a few things added together to make it work: a change in tactics first of all, for sure.

The forwards ran off Rory Lawson as a preferred option, instead of Dan Parks, which was their station against the All Blacks a week ago, and were quicker to breach the gain line.

Scotland achieved a more basic go-forward game and it worked.

The set-piece was as good as it has been too. Euan Murray provides a scrummaging presence at tight-head and with Nathan Hines at six it was a heavy Scottish pack at no time troubled in the scrums.

South African line-outs were similarly dealt with and the forwards coped with the Springbok rolling maul for the most part.

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Awesome All Blacks shatter Scotland's dreams

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John Beattie | 12:53 UK time, Sunday, 14 November 2010

One hundred and five years since we beat the All Blacks? It's a record that's stuck in a groove.

And I wonder if we'll ever beat the All Blacks as I thought that was as good a Scottish rugby team as we can pick just now.

And we didn't come close. Perhaps the All Blacks having been together for two months made a difference.

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Can Scotland beat the All Blacks?

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John Beattie | 18:05 UK time, Sunday, 7 November 2010

That's the big question for this weekend, given that we have never done so.

Oh, and , as the new one is an insult. And I liked the English crowd reaction as they tried to drown it out.

What makes All Black rugby special? Well, there was one ball carry against England by Kieran Read, the number eight, which summed it up.

He fielded a kick and ran into the opposition as hard as he could. It was no training-run entry into contact, he went for it as venomously as was possible.

Rule number one is that All Blacks don't hold back, and the try they conceded to England was their first in their last three tours.

And ever since Andy Haden jumped out of a line-out in Cardiff when nobody had touched him, I think most of the world realises that the All Blacks would do anything to win. Anything.

Richie McCaw, on Saturday, had one of the most unsubtle bits of lazy running, an act of which even might have been proud.

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