Scotland v France:WITHOUT RAKING over all the details of his time with England, Andy Robinson has probably had worse days in his coaching career. Admittedly the Scotland coach has the hot favourites on his hands for the Six Nations opener at Murrayfield tomorrow, but for once the fates have conspired to deal him a decent hand.
Given that rugby and injuries go hand in hand, Robinson could have suffered worse this week than losing his pack leader, Alasdair Strokosch, and his intended fullback, Rory Lamont.
When the Gloucester flanker said that his ankle was still playing up, the selectors took no time putting Kelly Brown in Strokosch's place.
Robinson admits that before the injury Brown was close to selection and his inclusion gives Scotland the comfort of an all-Glasgow backrow - Brown, Johnnie Beattie and John Barclay, the so-called "Killer Bs" of Firhill who were at the heart of a respectable Heineken Cup campaign.
Then when Lamont reported that his comeback with Toulon had left him short of full fitness, Robinson had to find the answer to a problem that haunted his predecessors - when and where to play Chris Paterson, the most accurate kicker in world rugby, but a puzzle to at least two national coaches.
Remarkably, considering the number of times he has either missed out on selection or sat on the replacements' bench, Paterson will win his 99th cap when he starts against France, hoping to extend a 100 per cent kicking record in the championship that goes back to Scotland's visit to Paris in 2007.
Last year he landed 16 from 16, the year before 15 from 15 and, had Paterson started against Argentina in the autumn, Robinson would probably have been entering his first Six Nations with Scotland having a Test record of three Murrayfield wins from three games.
As it is, the man who helped England win a World Cup, as Clive Woodward's forwards coach, has at least won over enough Scottish hearts for the "house full" signs to get a rare airing.
Whether the fans go home happy is another matter.
Robinson accepts that the first 20 minutes will be crucial but the captain, Chris Cusiter, is much more forensic in his cause for concern - the powerful French back line, Benjamin Fall (6ft 1in and 14st) Mathieu Bastareaud (6ft and 17st) Yannick Jauzion and Aurelien Rougerie (both 6ft 4in and well over 16st). Add a physical out-half in Francois Trinh-Duc and set opposite the slender forms of the Evans brothers, Max and Thom, and it looks a bit of a mismatch.
"It's a big, powerful back line and physically a lot bigger than ours, so that'll keep us busy in defence," said Cusiter, who not long ago was playing regularly against all four for Perpignan.
"But Max and Thom seem to play well against French teams, for whatever reason, maybe because they get a bit more time."
The Scots will hope that the loss of Fabien Barcella, a world-class prop who has been ruled out with a knee injury, might tilt things their way in the scrum and they have a decent lineout, but even then the home team's hopes will be pinned on France having one of those days when they self-destruct.
It happened four years ago as the mist descended over Frederic Michalak's eyes, but this is a French side that has beaten the All Blacks and the Springboks since last summer and who bookmakers are making the 11 to 8 favourites for the championship.
Guardian Service
