Scotland 23 Fiji 10:ONE GAME gone, one no-frills win in the bag. Scotland's new coach Andy Robinson will march his troops into battle against much sterner Southern Hemisphere opposition next weekend. He estimated his side would have to improve about 15 per cent for a second win and another jump up the world rankings before facing Argentina in the last of the autumn internationals.
However, by Saturday evening Scotland had jumped over Fiji into ninth place in the IRB rankings and a new side – 10 changes from the last team Frank Hadden fielded – were in good order.
Any pack that Robinson fields is always going to be physical and Scotland bossed the scrum all day, sealing the win 11 minutes into the second half with a couple of mighty heaves that sent Fiji backwards.
The pack might have been looking to keep the ball to themselves, but the new captain Chris Cusiter whipped it to Phil Godman and thanks to a lucky glitch in referee Chris White’s vision, Graeme Morrison took the rebound off Sean Lamont to go over under the posts.
That one move highlighted a lot of what Robinson has been building; a muscular pack, a new captain unafraid to make decisions and a physical back line with a rare Scottish penchant for tries.
Of the new boys, centre Alex Grove suffered some bruising from the Fijian rush defence before dishing out punishment of his own, and Moray Low, cornerstone of the pack, had a few early carries to suggest that when Euan Murray returns Robinson will have scrummaging strength in depth.
He may even surprise a few Australians on Saturday. After suffering a few damp days in Scotland, Fiji’s head coach Glen Ella, once a Wallabies coach and a member of that famous Australian rugby family, conceded: “We’re not good mud runners. If it’s wet you stand a chance.”
SCOTLAND: R Lamont; S Lamont, Grove, Morrison, Danielli; Godman, Cusiter; Jacobsen, Ford, Low, Hines, Kellock, Strokosch, Barclay, Beattie. Replacements: Paterson for R Lamont, M Blair for Cusiter, Traynor for Jacobsen (all 63 mins), J White for Strokosch (65), D Hall for Ford (70), R Vernon for Beattie (80), N De Luca for Blair (77).
FIJI: Matavesi; Goneva, Lovobalavu, Bai, Nalaga; Little, Rauluni; Yalayalatabua, Veikoso, Manu, Lewaravu, Rawaqa, Domolailai, Qera, Boko. Replacements: Ratu for Matavesi (74), Vatuvoka for Rauluni (71), Dewes for Yalayalatabua (41), Ledua for Veikoso (70), Bola for Domolailai (23). Not Used: Nakarawa, Roko.
Referee: Chris White (RFU).
