Buenos Aires
DOUGLAS Morgan, Scotland's coach, has left his Argentinian hosts in no
doubt as to what his intentions are on the tour here over the next
month. ''My philosophy is 15-man rugby,'' he told a meeting of the local
rugby press yesterday.
''Under the laws as they are today,'' he added, ''it is not always
easy to provide that kind of rugby. But that none the less that is my
aim.''
Scotland's six-match tour in Argentina, beginning with a match against
Buenos Aires on Wednesday, is an essential to Scotland's build-up to the
Rugby World Cup in South Africa next year, and Morgan revealed that the
preparations will take another step forward soon after the tourists
arrive home next month. While thoughts on the tour are still fresh in
the minds, the Scottish selectors will define a squad of 45 to work
towards the World Cup.
Morgan and Fred McLeod, the Scots' tour manager, also discovered that
their hosts -- at least the press -- were under a misapprehension about
the strength of the squad who have to take on two Test matches in their
six games. The Argentinians seemed slighted that a dozen capped Scots
had been omitted. Coach and manager, questioned aggressively, had to
explain that the squad was as strong as possible when so many were
unavailable.
Morgan added that the Scottish Rugby Union could have sent a team to a
less testing rugby country than Argentina. Scottish rugby, he indicated,
needed a severe test in the year before the World Cup.
''We could have taken the opportunity to go elsewhere in the world
where the rugby might have been easier,'' the coach remarked. ''But
would we have learned anything?'' The point was taken.
Andy Reed, the Bath lock who is captaining the Scots, was drawn into
the debate to refute a suggestion that the tourists were particularly
light in the tight five, when only Paul Burnell of those forwards has a
double-figure count of caps.
Reed accepted that the five Scottish tight forwards on the Lions' tour
last year, himself among them, had not played to their best in New
Zealand. Instead, he cited Scotland's scrummage performances over the
past two season.
''I would be interested,'' he challenged the questioner, ''if you
could point out one game where we were outscrummaged.'' No reply.
Reed also had to answer an insensitive question on how he felt as ''an
Englishman'' captaining Scotland, but he left his hosts in no doubt of
his loyalty and allegiance even though he had been born in Cornwall.
Yesterday, too, the Scots had their first sample of Argentina's
renowned hospitality. After training they had lunch cruising on the
Plate estuary, and in the evening they were guests of the Argentinian
Rugby Union at a reception in the Moet et Chandon rooms. A day of sea
and champagne plus, of course, the hard work of training.
* WALES have the chance to book their passage to next year's World Cup
Finals in South Africa when they meet Spain in Madrid today.
They have made five changes from the side which walloped Portugal
102-11 on Wednesday, with Rupert Moon reclaiming the scrum-half jersey
from Robert Jones, and a fit-again Tony Clement at full back in place of
arch-rival Mike Rayer.
Up front, Phil Davies returns to lead the pack as out go vice-captain
Gareth Llewellyn and Tony Copsey, while Davies is joined in the second
row by Swansea's Paul Arnold.
In the back row Mark Perego returns to open-side, Emyr Lewis reverting
to blind-side.
* ENGLAND captain Will Carling is calling on England's senior forwards
to use their heads -- metaphorically -- in today's second tour match
against Natal.
Carling, who will lead out England against a province which has 10 men
in the Springbok Test squad, is determined to put right the basic
mistakes which led to downfall against Orange Free State earlier in the
week.
He has had frequent talks with his players since Wednesday afternoon,
and said: ''Though I am captain I would not expect to be barking at the
forwards to get things sorted out.
''I would be disappointed if experienced players like Brian Moore,
Jason Leonard, Nigel Redman, and Dean Richards could not get a technical
problem solved -- but not as disappointed as they would be.''
* THE second match of Ireland's Australian tour at the Warath stadium
in Sydney tomorrow pits them against a New South Wales team with 10
internationalists, including David Campese and the front row of Tony
Daly, Phil Kearns, and Mark Hartill.
Ireland, also with 10 internationalists, include five inexperienced
players.
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