Defensive captain Chris Harris admitted to frustration with the way Scotland were stacked up so often against Wales – and says discipline has to improve.
The Scots have conceded 26 penalties in their two Six Nations games – the most in the championship and ten more than Ireland have given up.
The Scots’ much-improved defence mostly held up in Cardiff. But they were continually defending deep in their territory from being pinged in midfield.
The Scots had some issues with the way referee Nic Berry policed the breakdown in Cardiff, but conceded they did not adjust. Harris, a crucial element in the defensive improvement under Steve Tandy, did not mince words.
‘There’s no shying away from it’
Chris Harris defensive appreciation tweet. pic.twitter.com/KJJljbHElo
— Andrew Forde (@andrewfrugby) February 1, 2022
“We can’t just gift easy points like we have done,” he said. “There’s no shying away from it.
“We’ve been really honest with each other. It’s definitely something we’ve been speaking about throughout the week just to make sure we stay disciplined.
“We speak about it most weeks. It’s something we do focus on, about trust and discipline.
“But it’s frustrating to be honest. We are a good defensive unit and hard to break down. If we probably need to reward ourselves by being more disciplined, and then we’ll be even harder to break down.”
Against France, Harris has had two of his best games for Scotland, in 2020 and last year in Paris. But while his defence was big in both games, he made an impact going forward as well.
“I’m always conscious of the need to carry. Cardiff was just one of those games where I got my hands on the ball more,” he said.
“I’m not shying away from the fact that I don’t tend to touch the ball a lot or as much as I would like to, but there was opportunities there to have a crack a few more times than in previous games.
“A lot of Test matches involve a lot of kicking. I’ve been involved in a few now where it’s been a wet, miserable day and it’s been kick tennis, so naturally there is less possession with ball in hand.
‘France are probably the best they’ve been for a while’
THREAD:🏉 If you’re travelling by train to Saturday’s Six Nations rugby match between Scotland and France, plan ahead. Due to essential engineering work between Dundee and Cupar, there are no direct trains to Edinburgh from Dundee. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/29HLCcAIVW
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) February 22, 2022
“France do play a lot and have some real attacking threats, so the defensive side of my game comes into it.
“They’re playing well, probably the best they have played for a while. They had a bit of a slow start against Italy, but they are looking really sharp and playing with confidence.
“They are a quality outfit. If we let them get into the high-tempo game and we are not physical enough, then it is going to be a tough day for us.”
The extra motoivation, however, comes from a packed-full BT Murrayfield.
“Playing in front of a packed-out Murrayfield is awesome,” he said. “You look forward to that journey in.
“It definitely gives you that little bit of extra oomph to make sure we’re on it, that we perform and put on a show for everyone watching.”
After two defeats in front of empty seats during the Covid Championship of 2021, the Scots feel they’re building Fortress Murrayfield again.
“It’s just that bit of pride,” he said. “It’s home, it’s our patch. We don’t want to be an easy team to roll over and beat at home.
“I think we’ve now won five of the last six there now. That’s pretty good, so hopefully we can get another win this week.”