Scott: scrum problems will not be repeated against French

Tuesday 12 March 2013

Scotland forwards coach Stevie Scott has promised there will be no repeats of the scrummaging debacle that cost them dear against Wales when the Dark Blues travel to France this weekend.

The Scots will complete their RBS 6 Nations campaign with their fifth and final match at the Stade de France on Saturday night.

Two wins from the four fixtures that precedes the Paris trip marks a positive turnaround from last year's wooden spoon but there is still disappointment amongst the Scotland camp that they are not heading across the Channel with their title hopes intact.

Those ambitions were ruined by last Saturday's 28-18 defeat at home to the Welsh as a series of penalty concessions handed the Red Dragons victory.South African referee Craig Joubert dished out a total of 28 penalties at Murrayfield - including a world-record 19 kickable attempts.A vast number of the Scottish infringements came as hooker Ross Ford was penalised for engaging early at the scrum but Scott insists those problems have already been ironed out.Asked if the Welsh defeat had raised worrying questions about Scotland's scrummaging performance, he said: "Not at all. Scotland have got a good scrum, a very good scrum. You will see that if you look back at the games leading up to the Wales game."The problems we had against Wales are gone. They are out of our system."We have reviewed the game. We had a forwards meeting this morning. We know we don't have to change anything major. We just need to adapt little things to make sure that doesn't happen again."Our scrum is built around speed and the height of the scrum. But we will not change that. The referees are aware that we are not going early, but if you are not getting the engaging part right, it becomes pretty messy."The pleasing thing is that we go to France to face a side who want to scrum. Nothing changes for us at all."The front five and the whole pack are really looking forward to playing a game that will see us tested in that area."The Scots' interim head coach Scott Johnson will head to Paris with a squad this is still capable of finishing second in the Six Nations table - just 12 months on from losing all five of their games in last year's contest under his predecessor Andy Robinson.They need to beat the French and hope England rack up a substantial victory over Wales, who could yet claim the championship themselves with a win.For the French, however, their only hope is to beat Scotland and avoid a bottom-place finish after picking up only a single point from their four games to date.But Scott - who has been named the new interim head coach of Edinburgh following Michael Bradley's Murrayfield departure - has warned that fact might just count against Scottish prospects.He said: "The pressure is off us because the wooden spoon has gone, but the pressure is back on for us to potentially finish second in the championship."That's what we are going for, so there is more pressure on us than if we had the wooden spoon as a prospect."But France's current position makes them even more dangerous. Very dangerous. With the French, you never know what mindset they are going to turn up with."They are very hurt with what has happened during the championship. They would have been the favourites beforehand, and to see themselves at the bottom will be painful. That hurt is dangerous."

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Scott: scrum problems will not be repeated against French

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