Victory in Dublin has the thoughts of Welsh rugby fans already drifting to a Six Nations Championship title. Robin Turner looks at what some of Scotland’s top writers have to say on this weekend’s clash...

SCOTLAND’S leading rugby writers told the Western Mail Wales are obvious favourites and Scottish rugby fans would just like to see a try.

Neil Drysdale of the Herald said: “Wales will obviously be favourites and they have attacking players such as George North, Jon Davies and Jamie Roberts, who will cause any side problems.

“I don’t see any point in Scotland trying to win by being defensive; they need to create try-scoring opportunities, and I think they will start with Greig Laidlaw or Duncan Weir and try to get Stuart Hogg into the action.

“Dan Parks has taken a huge amount of stick for his performance against England some of which has been OTT, but I would rather we lost 32-25 and scored three tries than slump to another 24-6 loss as happened at Murrayfield last year.

“It’s a huge game for Andy Robinson, because if we lose, we could be staring at another wooden-spoon decider with Italy – in Rome.

“But I rate our pack, and they will win plenty of ball. The question is whether we can stop performing like headless chickens whenever we carve out an opportunity.”

Gary Ralston, of the Daily Record said: “I don’t think we should panic yet because England’s defence on Sunday was really dogged and the Scottish pack played well. But quite frankly the apparent lack of abilities to score tries, at least in the past four games, is becoming ridiculous.”

NEIL DRYSDALE OF THE HERALD

THERE was no disguising the sense of deflation among three of Scotland’s proudest rugby warriors as they gazed back at the Six Nations defeat to England on Sunday and looked forward to this weekend’s clash with the Welsh at the Millennium Stadium.

Yet the message from John Rutherford, Jim Renwick and Doddie Weir, a triumvirate with a tally of more than 150 Test caps, to the national coach, Andy Robinson, was unequivocal. Namely, that it’s time to show faith in the new generation of Scots and display the same killer instinct and streetwise qualities which stamp out thoroughbreds from honest artisans.

That ambition might be easier said than done, but Rutherford and Renwick were both involved in the famous victory at the old Arms Park in 1982, when the visitors survived an early onslaught from their opponents, prior to seizing the initiative and ultimately scoring five tries in a comprehensive 34-18 win. And, according to Rutherford, his compatriots will have to cut out the basic errors and eschew caution when they attempt to achieve a similar outcome 30 years later.

“Everybody was gutted with the England result, because we are getting a lot right, but we’re just not clinical enough, and you can’t blame coaches when players don’t make passes at the right time,” said Rutherford, with reference to Ross Rennie’s barnstorming incision, which ultimately fizzled out.

He added: “Perhaps we have to go with youth, as the Welsh have done.

“I wouldn’t advocate mass changes before we go to Cardiff – some of the criticism of Dan Parks has been vicious – and I am confident our pack will be at least the equal of the Welsh. It’s in the backs that we have to find ways of causing them problems.”

That perspective was echoed by Renwick, the 52-times-capped centre of excellence, who lavished praise on the likes of David Denton, Rennie and Richie Gray, but seemed underwhelmed by the contribution of the Scotland three-quarters.

He said: “Our ball-carrying could be better, and, sometimes, we don’t seem to have much conviction when we attack, whereas the Irish and Welsh looked faster, sharper, and prepared to think on their feet, and we maybe need to trust our instincts a bit more. “There is a big difference between warm-up fixtures and hard Test rugby, and the coach has to ask himself ‘Do I want damage limitation or do I want to send out a really attacking team in Cardiff?’ I don’t think he can bring in too many new faces, but is Sean Lamont the right man in the centre? And does he stick with Dan [who announced his retirement from international rugby after this piece was written] or look to somebody like Laidlaw or Weir?

“I want us to throw whatever we can at Wales and my attitude is that you don’t get experience by sitting on benches. But nobody should have any illusions how tough this match will be.”

As if to emphasise how much the balance has tilted, Weir savoured four triumphs over the principality’s finest in the 1990s, and was involved in the 16-14 victory in 1996, in addition to playing a pivotal part in some sterling acts of dragon-dowsing at Murrayfield.

Wales have hardly become world-beaters within a couple of seasons but they are thriving on a combination of confidence, callow precociousness and a crowd which has grown used to feats of derring-do.

“We seem to prefer being underdogs, which is probably just as well in this case, but we have to take our opportunities, translate our pressure into points, make our last pass or kick the right one, and get in their faces,” said Weir, who reckons Robinson cannot afford to persist with the status quo. I would start with Laidlaw at No10, and look to blood the youngsters, but it is a major call, and I also don’t believe in fielding players out of position.”

Scotland are preparing for another challenge with low expectations, but high motivation. Plus ca change...

STUART BATHGATE OF THE SCOTSMAN

THE choice Andy Robinson must make in one position for his team to play Wales may not only shape Scotland’s season. It could also in time define his reign as Scotland coach.

The position in question, of course, is stand-off.

The wearer of the No10 jersey always has a pivotal position on the rugby field, but this time the significance of Robinson’s choice looks likely to extend well beyond Sunday’s game in the Millennium Stadium.

The choice itself should be straightforward.

Greig Laidlaw did well enough against England – and Dan Parks did badly enough – to ensure that.

But it is how Laidlaw plays, if selected, that really matters. Will he spark the Scotland attack into life, as he promised to do in the 13-6 defeat by England, or will his inexperience at this level, and in this position, be exposed?

If the former, win or lose at the weekend, Scotland should at least provide some grounds for optimism, and proof that Robinson is making progress. If the latter, a feeling of despondency will grow in Scottish rugby, leaving the incumbent facing a steep uphill battle to convince a sceptical public that he still has enough to offer to merit staying on as national coach.

And then there is the matter of Laidlaw’s deputy.

At the top of his game, Parks has been valuable to Scotland. But he has not been at the top of his game recently.

If Scotland are to win in Cardiff, they will surely have to fight for the result every inch of the way, every minute of the 80.

Which means that, rather than having the option of taking the sting out of the game, Robinson should look for substitutes who can raise the intensity when some of the starting XV are running low on energy. And that should mean a place for Glasgow’s [uncapped] Weir, the man of the match in Scotland A’s stunning 35-0 victory over England Saxons at Netherdale on Friday night.

Invariably, when confidence is low and self-belief has to be restored, you would opt for a more experienced player over an unproven one.

But Parks [was] part of the reason why confidence is low.

GARY RALSTON OF THE DAILY RECORD

JAMES Bond looked on at Murrayfield as Jim Hamilton pleaded for the Scotland squad to remain unshaken and unstirred despite another Six Nations nightmare.

The pressure on head coach Andy Robinson to find solutions to the try-scoring woes that are blighting his team’s development as an international force are beginning to overwhelm.

The role of coach Gregor Townsend, is coming under increasing scrutiny as the only accuracy being consistently displayed by the Scots in the red zone these days is the unerring ability to shoot themselves in the foot.

They have now gone four games without scoring a try as they failed to deliver against a new-look England, whose attack was as deficient as their defence was impressive – helped, as it was, by a string of unforced errors and bad decision-making by the Scottish attack.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results and the Tartan Army, officer class, are being driven mad by the shortcomings of their side.

This was a thrilling spectacle to match anything 007 star Daniel Craig, watching from the west stand, ever acted out on the big screen but the ultimate emotion for the majority of the 67,144 was yet again frustration.

There is already a clamour to parachute in the top performers from the A squad to help out in Cardiff on Sunday. However, Gloucester lock Hamilton is calling for the Scots to hold the line on team selection ahead of Wales.

He said: “It’s so frustrating – what do you say? How many times do you claim coulda, woulda, shoulda? It comes down to such small margins. They took their one chance and we failed to capitalise on our two or three. It’s the story of our lives.

“We’re putting in the work, we want to win and yet we’re not putting our chances away and there’s no magic wand, is there? If we’d finished our chances we would have won the game by two or three points and if they hadn’t charged down a kick we would also have won.

“We have a lot of talent but it’s not about chopping and changing all the time. We did that in the World Cup and it only unsettled the guys.

“I’m not in this to make up the numbers. I’m in it to win so there will be a reaction in Cardiff. There must be.”

Scotland were architects of their own downfall with sloppy handling, careless knock-ons and a series of bad decisions in the English 22 costing them dear.

Farrell’s penalty six minutes from time extended the gap to seven points. Frankly, there was as much chance of Scotland scoring a try in the late stages as Bond trading his Aston Martin for a Robin Reliant.

Even Robinson admitted: “There was a little bit of deja vu out there. We’ve all been here before.”

You Only Live Twice? Sadly for Scots fans, they’re watching the same bad movie time after time.