| Hosts: France Dates: 8 September to twenty-eight October |
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Former Scotland ahead Johnnie Beattie referred to as it “a poor day on the workplace” and “a missed alternative”.
Followers have been left bemoaning an absence of refereeing consistency. And head coach Gregor Townsend fell someplace within the center after Scotland’s World Cup began with defeat to South Africa.
The Springboks’ dominance on the set-piece did not enable Scotland to implement their attacking plans within the 18-3 loss, and Townsend’s facet now face an uphill battle to succeed in the quarter-finals.
“There was no platform, completely nothing on the set-piece,” Beattie stated on BBC Radio 5 Dwell. “Scotland will take a look at that as a missed alternative, particularly the ahead pack.
“They didn’t provide a platform in any respect to the again line and even after they did, it was scrappy ball. Towards the blitz defence you’re all the time working uphill – a poor day on the workplace.”
A lot of discuss earlier than the sport centered on whether or not Scotland would be capable of get their gifted again line into the sport towards a facet as bodily and relentless as South Africa, and the fact is that they could not.
They misplaced six of their very own lineouts inside South Africa’s 22, and in consequence could not flip territory into factors.
The Springboks’ dominance up entrance will be seen from the metres made by either side post-contact. South Africa made 315 to Scotland’s 180 – they beat Scotland up within the tight, and Scotland had no solutions.
Sport-changing determination? Or simply an apart?
Nevertheless, lengthy earlier than Rassie Erasmus’ facet steamrollered their strategy to a deserved win, there was an incident that might simply have despatched the sport down a unique course.
Within the opening throes of the sport, Jesse Kriel stayed upright in a sort out on Jack Dempsey and made direct contact with the Scotland quantity eight’s head.
It was a collision that bore exceptional similarities to the pink card proven to England’s Tom Curry on Saturday, however the officers took no motion.
Former Scotland captain John Barclay was adamant that that they had made a mistake. “That is a pink card,” he stated on ITV. “That proven fact that it isn’t even been reviewed is inexcusable.”
Scotland followers agreed.
“No consistency.”
“If Curry’s was pink so ought to Kriel’s be.”
“Seeing that head on head sort out by South Africa within the first half and nothing is finished.”
“In all probability a worse sort out than the one which the England participant bought despatched off for. The applying of the legal guidelines of the sport is even worse than soccer’s VAR.”
Townsend stated that, when he noticed replays of the sort out on the time, he anticipated additional motion to be taken.
The Scotland head coach was annoyed, however insisted that he was extra upset by his facet’s efficiency after that time.
“I noticed it about two screens away,” he stated. “It seemed like a head-on-head collision and I used to be anticipating the TMO to return in.
“Who is aware of? [If it would have changed the game]. A pink card final night time did not change the match an excessive amount of by way of Argentina.
“We had a promising attacking place outdoors the 22 and the TMO got here in for a physique verify [by Finn Russell]. I did not understand how that ended up being a penalty. So sure there are nonetheless inconsistencies when there was a head contact.
“We’re annoyed at that however we’re extra annoyed at our personal efficiency. We by no means bought the accuracy to hassle them on the scoreboard.”