Gavin Cummiskeytalks to the former England coach Andy Robinson, who refuses to make life any harder for the current Scotland coach Frank Hadden
Andy Robinson has not been working with the Scottish pack these past two weeks. He was, however, occasionally on the same paddock in his role as Scotland A coach but he assures us he hasn't dispensed a single word of advice.
Following the miserable, tryless performances against France and Wales a media fire was duly lit in Scotland. Former international number eight John Beattie suggested coach Frank Hadden needed help, especially a forward unit that are patently lacking the trademark dynamism of old. He suggested the Edinburgh coach be promoted alongside the current forwards guru George Graham.
Robinson is already involved in the SRU structure but he immediately put distance between himself and an enhanced role when it was suggested at the usual Edinburgh briefing. This is a man who has an understandable mistrust of media lines of enquiry. He wasn't biting.
The Scottish coach is in a precarious position as, unlike his Irish counterpart, Eddie O'Sullivan, Hadden did not receive any pre-World Cup guarantee. Instead, after reaching the quarter-finals, he signed a one-year, rolling, performance-related contract.
They are in Croker today with England, probably off the back of defeat in Paris, coming to Murrayfield next before finishing the Six Nations with a daunting trip to Rome. Back-to-back wooden spoons would ensure the demise of Hadden. Only then would the Robinson theory carry genuine weight. Still, his name continued to be mentioned almost like the Sword of Damocles over the incumbent all this week.
Former England coach, forwards coach when they won World Cup in 2003, and a two-time Lions tourist as the chief pack strategist, Robinson has undeniable candidacy credentials.
The second, second coming of the 44-year-old was confirmed in recent months as Edinburgh ended the European aspirations of Leinster and Leicester. It reaffirmed the worldwide view of him as a quality coach, so damaged during the two-year period in charge of England, when the Cross of St George was lowered in 13 of 22 Test matches.
The Lazarus-like return as a coach took 11 months, a notable improvement on his playing days when there was a six-year gap between cap seven and eight (won in 1995).
Robinson took time out this week to speak with The Irish Times but he has been around the Six Nations long enough to know how not to make matters worse for Hadden. A list of questions on Scottish performances and the head-scratching form of centre Nick De Luca (so good in the Heineken European Cup but dropped for today) are shredded.
No comment.
But the Scottish media have increasingly started looking to their only success story. Edinburgh. Do regular, open channels exist between Hadden, Robinson and Glasgow coach Sean Lineen?
"There is," replies Robinson. "That's one of the positives with the mix of coaches. We trained against the senior side a couple of times. It's been the As against the senior side and I think that's helped for some of the younger players to make the step up. There has been a real discussion about selection and the ideas we want in terms of moving forward for the A team."
Hadden took a similar line speaking to the Scottish Sunday Herald. "I was very keen to get Andy here. I thought he would be very good for Edinburgh Rugby and therefore for Scotland as well. I don't feel threatened by his presence. My job is permanently on the line, entirely dependent on results, and I see Andy as a positive addition to the core of experienced professional coaches we have here."
This is an immediate advantage Scotland hold over Ireland as the communication lines between O'Sullivan and the three European Cup coaches - Declan Kidney, Michael Cheika and Matt Williams - are somewhat tangled. Michael Bradley's position as A coach must include a brief discussion when O'Sullivan gives him the team. But while O'Sullivan can be aloof, bullish and downright stubborn, at least he exudes fighting qualities.
The pressure is mounting on Hadden, not helped by increasing reliance on an excuse culture that permeates the squad.
The loss to France was blamed on the penalty count "which is normally the case with Alain (Rolland)", and of course, "there's no doubt that the bounce of the oddly shaped ball played a big part".
Right so.
Against Wales it was the TMO's fault as the Italian Carlo DaMasco missed Shane Williams's foot in touch for the winger's second try.
Hadden was forced to face tough questions this past week. He got most of them out of the way with an O'Sullivan-style Q&A session, presumably with a senior reporter of his choosing.
Here's an excerpt.
What has happened to Scotland's traditional forward dynamism? "My recollection is that, apart from one or two spells over the years, we have been bullied up front on a regular basis. We are working hard at the moment on speedwork and speed of reaction and more movement of the ball, in an attempt to give more dynamic performances in the next three games."
There are performance targets in your employment contract. Are you feeling nervous at the moment?
"When I took the job I knew how tough it was going to be. I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to coach the national side and I am desperate to give the fans one of these rare periods of over-achievement. Don't forget that my personal target is to win every game, and that is much tougher than the target set in the strategic plan, which makes a retrospective evaluation at the end of five years. Feeling nervous is not always a bad thing."
To admit they "have been bullied up front on a regular basis" and that he is desperate "to give the fans one of these rare periods of over-achievement" hardly inspires confidence.
Hadden avoided widespread criticism for fielding a second-string team against the All Blacks in the World Cup by reaching the quarter-finals after a narrow victory over Italy. Everyone seemed relatively satisfied despite the unadventurous approach that saw them come up short against Argentina.
All would be forgiven if he moulded the improving form of Edinburgh and Glasgow with individuals playing in various other top-level leagues.
He went with a monstrous pack but has reeled back on this by dropping the Leicester lock Jim Hamilton for the more athletic Scott MacLeod of the Llanelli Scarlets. De Luca may get a chance of redemption off the bench but his quality will eventually float to the surface.
Outhalf Dan Parks was also sacrificed after failing to engineer anything remotely reflecting a try-scoring opportunity.
In recent years the default setting for Scotland in a backline crises has always been to pull Chris Paterson off the wing and into the pivot position.
They are also shorn of concussed captain Jason White and flanker John Barclay while Scott Murray has been put out to pasture much like Mal O'Kelly. The technically excellent Edinburgh scrumhalf Mike Blair takes on the leadership role.
Robinson's influence has already been utilised by his work with the Edinburgh eight since October. It would hardly be a surprise if he had taken over a recent session or two. If so, we'll see evidence of it today. The Edinburgh forwards already swear by him. Five of them are on duty here.
"It's pretty vibrant over here," said Robinson. "There are a number of good young players. I think that's borne out by looking at the competition for the back row. Ross Rennie is 21, Andy Hogg 24, John Barclay is 21 and Alasdair Strokosch is 25. Strokosch and Rennie played in the last A game and now they are in the senior squad.
"In certain positions there is some real strength but obviously it doesn't have the same depth as England would have, in terms of being able to pick two 30s. This is borne out when it comes to the Churchill Cup but that is something we want to get to over the next couple of years: 60 players who are capable of playing for Scotland."
That is for the future. They arrive shorn of confidence and are primed to be filleted by Ireland today.
