Threadbare tartans pose no threat

By WYNNE GRAY

SCOTLAND 22 FIJI 20

SYDNEY -This was a victory for British earnestness and dogged devotion, nothing more, and it was unnerving to hear such a seasoned coaching man as Jim Telfer saying he thought his side controlled the test well.

If having 59 per cent of the territory and an equal amount of the possession converts to decent control, I defer to Mr Telfer.

If that is the best Scotland have - and on the evidence of the tournament so far, it sadly is - then Australia can think about a semifinal spot now.

Northland, with Rupeni Caucaunibuca and in their playoff form, might have given the Scots a tune-up.

Scottish five-eighths Chris Paterson kept his cool to kick the crucial goals and he did look sparky in the gamble to switch him from the wing for this knockout match.

But from a total of 11 minutes in Fiji's 22-metre zone, Scotland scored a solitary try, and that when Fiji were reduced to 13 men.

Lock Api Naevo was in the bin, outstanding midfielder Seru Rabeni was down with cramp, and referee Tony Spreadbury waved play on, even though he stopped it minutes later when kilted Kiwi Cameron Mather went down with the same complaint.

From a lineout catch and drive, prop Tom Smith burrowed over for Paterson's conversion to win the game.

The Scots had all the attacking thrust of a worn emery board.

Great men from Scotland such as the Hastings brothers, John Rutherford, Jim Renwick and Alan Tait must wince at the lack of bite in the back play.

The atmosphere afterwards confirmed the widespread sadness about Fiji's failure, the state of Scottish rugby and that the tournament had not seen an upset.

Scotland looked gun-shy against some of the heavy tackling from Fiji and it was left to the useful pack to grind Fiji down, to force some penalties and flop across the finish-line.

Neither Fiji nor Scotland would trouble the Wallabies, but at least there was some chance of excitement had the Fijians qualified for the quarters.

They brought that with their obvious desire to flick as much ball as possible to Caucaunibuca. For much of the first half it was 15 Scots against the dazzling wing, who was back from a two-game suspension and in his best scorching form.

Scottish coach Ian McGeechan had a birthday during the week, but must have aged another decade by halftime at Aussie Stadium with his team 14-6 adrift.

He was, however, fortunate his side were not down by twice that margin as Aisea Tuilevu bombed one try and Caucaunibuca missed another because of a cruel bounce.

A questionable check on Caucaunibuca damaged his right knee after the break, although he might have been lucky to escape some censure in the first half when he clocked his opposite, Simon Danielli, with a swinging arm.

An early exit for Fijian hooker Greg Smith through injury told on his side's set-piece work, and Scotland set about pressing in that area. They stole the lineouts, muscled up in the scrums and forced Fiji to make twice as many tackles in the exhausting heat.

One final rolling maul was too much to quell and Fiji left the tournament while, incredibly, Scotland live on.

"I don't think we should be ashamed of that win. We did what we had to do and we're still alive," No 8 Simon Taylor said.

Hearing those persistent post-match comments made you realise how much standards have dropped in Scotland, how they were in danger, as Fiji chief executive Charlie Charters said, of facing the problems his nation did.

As another regular observer of Scottish rugby said: "That is the normal weekly fare we are dished up."

What will Scotland bring to the Brisbane quarter-final with the Wallabies?

They will bring all the old virtues of spirit and resilience, a useful defence and capable forwards such as Taylor, Smith, Mather, Gordon Bulloch and Stuart Grimes.

Halfback and skipper Bryan Redpath has a beautiful pass, Paterson some lively skills, but beyond that there is not much.

Fullback Glenn Metcalfe showed some strong touches, but the ageing Gregor Townsend, Andrew Henderson and Co in midfield are anonymous attackers.