Sean Lamont thinks a battle for RBS 6 Nations survival will make for a compelling encounter between Scotland and Wales at Murrayfield, but the memory of a year ago will prove extra incentive for him and his team-mates.
Lamont played his only game for Scotland at outside centre in the infamous 31-24 defeat in Cardiff last year, when the Scots surrendered a 10-point lead in the last seven minutes, and after both teams lost on the opening weekend Scotland in Paris, Wales at home to England both will be desperate for victory.
“Both teams will be wounded animals this week, I think,” said the Perth-born wing, dropped to the bench on Saturday but scoring his seventh try for his country when he came on as a replacement for Nick De Luca as the Scots went down 34-21.
“The beauty of the Six Nations is that you don’t know what you’re going to get until you get there. You only have to look at us last year. We came in after a loss to France and dominated, but it was the game from hell for us in the end one of those horrible days at the office.”
Andy Robinson had consoled Lamont last week by asking him to concentrate on giving the team a big lift off the bench, and the wing responded.
“He asked me during the week to make sure I made an impact when I got on and I just went out and tried to do that. By that time the game was opening up a bit and I was in the right place at the right time, so I’ll take it, but I’d have rather stayed on the bench to be honest and the boys get the win than score and lose.
“There are positives to take from the game and scoring three tries, from a nation that has not been renowned for scoring a lot lately, is great. I think France played okay, but we beat ourselves, really. We turned over four balls and they scored four tries from it and at this level you can’t do that, and that’s what punished us.”
Lamont wouldn’t be surprised if Robinson picks the same back division, as he believes he was given the same scope from the coach after the disappointing loss to the All Blacks in November.Another chanceHe said, “Everyone wants a starting berth and that’s what you aim for, but there’s nothing wrong with these boys getting another chance. I got another chance after the New Zealand game and now it’s about how we all pick ourselves up again. Whatever the coaches decide I’ll be happy.
“It’s a good thing for Scottish rugby that we have so much competition for places in the back three and the backs in general. It bodes well for the World Cup because it’s going to be a long year and you can never tell what might happen. Think of the Wales game again last year. How many players did we lose in that one game?”
For Lamont, this week’s game has even more spice as his club Scarlets have been going well in the Magner’s League and that’s reflected in the Welsh team. He said, “It is nice to see so many boys from the Scarlets in the Wales team, it is because they’re picking form guys.”
Scotland added nine players to the 25 who travelled to France-the match-day 22 plus emergency extra men Scott MacLeod, Robert Harley and Chris Paterson for Monday’s skills session at Murrayfield, including Lamont’s younger brother Rory, who had flu last week.
Backs Simon Danielli, Alex Grove, Jack Cuthbert and Greig Laidlaw plus forwards Johnnie Beattie, Jon Welsh, Geoff Cross and Scott Lawson, all of whom played in the Scotland A win over Italy A on Friday night at Netherdale, were the others.
Scotland team doctor James Robson reported that scrum-half Rory Lawson was continuing his recovery following the back injury that forced him off at half-time at the Stade de France. Lawson did not train and there is no firm prognosis but the team doctor is “pleased” with progress.
Wingers Max Evans (dead leg) and Nikki Walker (knee) also sat out training and will see more assessment, but are expected to resume training this week. The Scotland team announcement scheduled for Tuesday has been put back until Wednesday as a mark of respect for former long-serving SRU secretary Bill Hogg, whose funeral will be attended by senior management and players in Edinburgh Tuesday.