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Robinson urges same-again Scotland to seize their opportunity this time

SCOTLAND v WALES: HEAD COACH Andy Robinson has urged his Scotland players to seize their second opportunity after naming an …

Thu Feb 10 2011 - 00:00

SCOTLAND v WALES:HEAD COACH Andy Robinson has urged his Scotland players to seize their second opportunity after naming an unchanged side for the visit of Wales to Murrayfield in the Six Nations Championship on Saturday.

Scotland lost on the opening weekend of the Six Nations for the 11th time in 12 attempts, losing 34-21 to defending Grand Slam champions France in Paris last Saturday. But they were praised for their performance and Robinson, who yesterday agreed a contract extension until after the 2015 Rugby World Cup, has resisted changes.

Scrumhalf Rory Lawson (back) and wings Max Evans (dead leg) and Nikki Walker (knee) have shaken off knocks to retain their places. Scotland's scrum came under attack, leading some to suggest Euan Murray could lose his place at tighthead, while turnover ball left Robinson's men exposed at the Stade de France.

The head coach, though, is certain of a response from his side, who have five wins from the last seven Tests, against a Wales team winless in eight.

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Robinson said: "The players that have been selected have got another opportunity to perform, for some of them to back up their performances of the week before - Joe Ansbro being one of those players, Richie Gray as well.

"For the guys that were disappointed in their performances, this is the opportunity to put that right. I'm confident the players will do that.

"What's important is consistency and being able to look at the side and move forward.

"We need to respond from last week, be able to play at the same level of intensity, but to be better organised in our defensive capabilities and the collective - we defended as individuals at times and that's why we got exposed.

"We scrummed as individuals and if you do that you'll get blown away, as happened in the game. France scrummed as an eight and did well."

The only change to Scotland's match-day 22 sees Gloucester hooker Scott Lawson promoted to the replacements' bench in place of Glasgow's Dougie Hall, who has a shoulder problem.

Robinson, whose deal with the Scottish Rugby Union was due to expire at the end of the 2012 Six Nations, has agreed a new contract until December 31st, 2015. He said: "Scottish Rugby have got the belief in what I want to try to do with the side and with the team management - it was the perfect fit. For everybody, it's about us getting results and the focus doesn't change from that."

SCOTLAND(team to play Wales at Murrayfield on Saturday (kick-off 5pm): H Southwell (Stade Francais); N Walker (Ospreys), J Ansbro (Northampton Saints), N De Luca (Edinburgh), M Evans (Glasgow Warriors); D Parks (Cardiff Blues), R Lawson (Gloucester); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), E Murray (Northampton Saints), R Gray (Glasgow Warriors), A Kellock (capt, Glasgow Warriors), N Hines (Leinster), K Brown (Saracens), J Barclay (Glasgow Warriors).