Sunday, June 20, 2010

Six Nations 2010: Scotland make four changes for Italy clash

By Alasdair Reid Published: 3:44PM GMT twenty-two February 2010

Six Nations 2010: Scotland creates 4 changes for Italy clash Recall: Hugo Southwell replaces Chris Paterson at full-back for Scotland Photo: AFP

And so it current on Monday, when he all but certified that patching up the Scotland side that suffered such a incriminating method of injuries opposite Wales 10 days ago was frequency the majority severe pursuit he had ever had to do.

To be frank, carrying lost Chris Paterson, Thom Evans and Rory Lamont, Robinson had unequivocally integrate of backline options left when it came to selecting his group to face Italy in Rome"s Stadio Flaminio on Saturday. Hugo Southwell was the usually convincing claimant to take the place of Paterson at full-back, whilst Max Evans was a shoo-in faith to lapse to the midfield after his try-scoring cameo as a surrogate opposite Wales.

Murphy in line for Ireland begin Fall on wing opposite Wales Andy Robinson considers his options More surgery for Evans Big hits risking deadly stroke Team of the contest so far

The usually wily call was in between the Ospreys Nikki Walker and Ulsters Simon Danielli for the empty worried berth. Robinson referred to that Walker had been a critical consideration, but opted for Danielli, as if on the basement of his improved all-round footballing skills. Having already changed Sean Lamont from outward centre to the left-wing, Robinson competence have felt that the conflict indispensable some-more deception than the preference of dual unmitigated bashers would have provided.

In the pack, the lapse of Allan Jacobsen at lax head column in place of Alasdair Dickinson was additionally at large expected, given the certain stroke he brought to the Scotland scrum when he was called off the dais opposite Wales. Jim Hamilton competence have fretted about losing his place at close to the fit-again Nathan Hines, but an roughly perfect line-out opening in the Millennium Stadium swayed Robinson to leave well alone in that department.

"I was unequivocally gratified with the approach Jim played opposite Wales," Robinson explained. "I thought it was an critical matter that if players do fool around well that they should get an additional opportunity. We won twenty of twenty-one line-outs, so the line-out operation is flattering crafty at the moment. Its covenant to Nathan that he entirely reputable the decision."

Robinson courted debate by insisting that the Millennium Stadium roof tiles should sojourn open when Scotland played in Cardiff, but he contingency have felt it had depressed in on his side as they shipped seventeen points in the last five mins on their approach to a 31-24 defeat. After that shocking end it was small consternation that he should highlight the significance of seeking brazen to the subsequent diversion rather than home on the last, but he still insisted that lessons would be taken on board.

"Id contend each player has learnt a big doctrine from last week," Robinson said. "But each coaching point were creation right afar is about Italy, and what we have to do to kick Italy. Its not about branch the time behind given I dont think anyones ever been means to spin the time behind to win a game. That diversion is finished and all the points this week have to be current to violence Italy.

"There were a little unequivocally appreciative pieces of fool around via the Wales diversion but we cannot take it for postulated that were going to grasp that this week. When Dan Parks perceived the ball, he had discerning round and was means to fool around flat; a player inside him and a player outward him, all the time. If we dont settle that this week end well be underneath pressure."

Robinson will positively wish to see an additional heads-up, certain diversion from Parks, rather than the unlucky opening the fly-half delivered on his last outing to Rome, dual seasons ago. In their new waste to Ireland and England, Italy have still been maddeningly in effect at frustrating their opponents, so achieving discerning round and becoming different the point of conflict will be uppermost in the Scots minds.

Italy can additionally be relied on to put together a plain scrummaging performance. That was some-more than Scotland managed opposite Wales, nonetheless Robinson referred to that his players have to sense to be some-more streetwise if they are to remove any favours in that dialect from compare referees.

Robinson said: "We need to improve. Weve conceded 9 points from scrum penalties so far and that has a vital change on the game. We need to get improved at what were doing. We need to be in a incident where the arbitrate believes the not us giving the penalties away."

He chose his difference carefully, but Robinson obviously believes that George Clancy, who refereed the compare opposite Wales, was burned in to awarding penalties opposite the Scots at the set-piece by a little crafty Welsh subterfuges. "I will be giving feedback to Paddy OBrien [the IRBs referees manager] over the subsequent integrate of weeks," pronounced the manager pointedly. "But I wish to do it but emotion, in the cold light of day."

On the repairs front, Robinson reliable that Lamont suffered middle vinculum repairs opposite Wales and is expected to be out of rugby for 10 weeks. However, there was heart-warming headlines of Evans, the wing whose horrific neck repairs dumbfounded the sport. Having successfully undergone a second operation last week, Evans was means to climb form his bed at Cardiffs University Hospital on Sunday and travel for the initial time given he was carried from the representation eight days earlier.

Scotland XV: H Southwell (Stade Francais); S Danielli (Ulster), M Evans (Glasgow), G Morrison (Glasgow), S Lamont (Scarlets); D Parks (Glasgow), C Cusiter (Glasgow, capt); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), E Murray (Northampton), J Hamilton (Edinburgh), A Kellock (Glasgow), K Brown (Glasgow), J Barclay (Glasgow), J Beattie (Glasgow). Subs: S Lawson (Gloucester), A Dickinson (Gloucester), N Hines (Leinster), A Strokosch (Gloucester), M Blair (Edinburgh), P Godman (Edinburgh), N De Luca (Edinburgh).

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