TODAY’s game against Chile may officially be an ‘A’ international for Scotland, but there is no way the players will be treating it as merely a dress rehearsal for the subsequent three-Test series against Argentina. Far from having an “It’ll be alright on the night” attitude should anything go wrong, captain Luke Crosbie and his team-mates are determined to treat this match as the real thing.
There are several reasons for this approach. First, and most importantly, is simply the professionalism of those involved: no matter the label attached to the match, as far as they are concerned they are representing Scotland, full stop.
Secondly, while the score from this evening’s game in Santiago will count for nothing in the bigger picture, a solid victory will provide a substantial morale-boost for the whole party, not just for the 23 who are involved in this match. And thirdly, each one of those 23 will be desperate to put in the kind of performance that will enhance his chances of selection in the coming weeks, knowing that, with only 16 players from the full squad of 39 sitting out this evening’s encounter in the Estadio Santa Laura Universidad, at least seven who are involved here will also be called upon for next Saturday’s match in Jujuy.
With the likes of Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg left at home to rest this summer and no England-based players available for a game that is taking place outside of the international window, the team selected by Gregor Townsend is short of star quality. But a country ranked seventh in the world should not need Russell’s inspired inventiveness to get the better of opponents who are ranked 23rd. An unrelenting, no-nonsense performance should be enough, which is why Crosbie is absolutely the right choice to lead Scotland in this game.
The Edinburgh openside is just one of those on duty tonight who could well play his way into contention for the first Test. So too could the men playing alongside him in the back row, uncapped blindside Ben Muncaster and the more experienced No 8 Matt Fagerson. In the second row, where tour captain Grant Gilchrist is set to begin in a week’s time, Jamie Hodgson and Scott Cummings could be fighting it out to join him.
The starting back division is notably less experienced, but Sione Tuipulotu, named as vice-captain here, should certainly be in with a shout of selection next Saturday. And on the bench, probably as many as five of the eight replacements are firmly in Townsend’s thinking for next week.
“I want to see the intent and energy that we usually bring in a Scotland jersey,” Crosbie said when asked his approach as captain. “I’m sure without a doubt that the players we have in this squad will bring that.
“We have to work hard for each other and control the game. We stick to our systems and the stuff we’ve trained on, our strategies, and try to implement that. And we have to try to enjoy it as well, as it’s a special thing to play for your country, especially over here. So we have to be in the moment and just enjoy it.
“We’ve identified the main threats Chile have – they’re a physical team, we’re aware of that – but the main thing we have to do in these games is just focus on ourselves. If you spend too much energy focusing on the opposition you can take away from doing your own job.
“You can tell with the group of players in this camp that everyone wants to work hard for each other, so there’s not too much that you need to bring in that respect,” he continued. “It’s controlling the team and making sure everyone is focused on their job, and if there are errors it’s about picking people up and making sure they stay positive.”
Crosbie was first chosen as Scotland ‘A’ captain in the summer of 2021, only to be denied the honour when the fixture against England was cancelled because of pandemic-related reasons. A year on, he would be entitled to reflect with some pride on the honour, but insisted he would only do so once the day’s business is out of the way.
“I’m sure after the game I’ll be able to switch off and soak it in,” he added. “But it’s very much about making sure I get all my roles right and making sure I’m putting my body on the line and leading by example. I’ll definitely be in the moment throughout the game.”
Such a down-to-earth and determined attitude is exactly what Crosbie regularly displays for Edinburgh and is one of the key reasons Townsend chose him to lead the side. If his team-mates emulate his approach across the board, Scotland should prevail with something to spare.
