Six Nations 2010: Scotlands Andy Robinson proves a intelligent play in art of possible

By David Sole 610PM GMT twenty-two March 2010

Making his symbol Scotland manager Andy Robinson has finished a little critical calls during the Six Nations Photo PA

It is trotted out with shocking rule when coaches aren"t rebuilt to take a long, tough see at the deficiencies of their team, their coaching or their strategy and so they find someone or something else to point a finger at to censure for a defeat.

There have been utterly a couple of "if only"" comments from the Scottish coaching group over the last couple of years.

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But it is not a word that appears to be in Andy Robinson"s bank of expressions and he, some-more than any alternative manager of Scotland, would have been entitled to have use of it some-more than majority this season.

If usually Scotland had played France on a Saturday, that would have authorised Euan Murray to seaside up the Scottish front row. If usually Scott Lawson hadn"t had a pour out of red blood to the head and been sin-binned in Cardiff. If usually Mike Blair had put the restart in to the top reaches of the Millennium Stadium. If usually one or alternative of Dan Parks" kicks hadn"t strike the uprights opposite England. Oh yes, Scotland have had copiousness of "if only"" moments this season.

And yet, by not seeking for excuses, Robinson and his players have been means to knuckle down and put their defeats, disappointments and draws at the behind of them so that on Saturday, at Croke Park, they got their usually deserts and degraded Ireland.

For once in this RBS Six Nations it was additionally a enormous diversion of rugby, with both sides you do their pinnacle to measure tries which, after a flattering bad array of games, brought a spark of goal for the future.

It was a diversion that ebbed and flowed, with initial Ireland winning and afterwards Scotland fighting their proceed behind in the initial half a settlement that was steady in the second 40 mins as well.

The outcome apart, it was a majority wise finish to Ireland"s proxy stay at the home of Gaelic games.

Ireland proposed at a gait that Scotland found tough to live with at first, and the portents were meaningful when Brian O"Driscoll sliced by the Scottish midfield counterclaim to measure (if usually the arbitrate had picked up a obvious brazen pass). As the diversion staid down, however, it became transparent that Robinson and his coaching group had finished their task unequivocally well.

Against Wales, Scotland attempted to fool around with pace, keeping the round alive only how the Welsh were approaching to play; opposite Italy, the Scots pounded the Italian scrum the Italians" honour and happiness and opposite Ireland, Scotland competed in the line-out and were so assertive in their counter-rucking that the routinely stoical Irish were left at sixes and sevens.

When you supplement to that Murray"s finish and sum dispersion pursuit on Cian Healy and the unequivocally opposite proceed to the three-quarters defensive alignment, Ireland struggled to recognize the Scottish group they were personification from the group that had suffered 3 disappointments on the trot. The strategy were brilliantly thought out and executed to perfection.

What is more, a little of Scotland"s some-more more aged players unequivocally began to step up to the plate. Leaving in reserve Parks, who had his majority appropriate compare in a Scottish jersey (although his flitting let him down at times), there were positives via the side.

Graeme Morrison showed because Sean Lineen rates him so rarely at Glasgow, the "Killer B"s"" in the Scottish behind row are sappy in to a multiple that is estimable of more aged to Finlay Calder, John Jeffrey and Derek White as a mix and the parsimonious five demonstrated that they ought to be a compare for any general side at the set piece.

With an additional fifteen months to rise underneath Robinson"s guidance, the World Cup in 2011 could be unequivocally engaging for Scotland.

Robinson"s initial Six Nations in assign of Scotland will thus sojourn one of nearby misses, of naivety, but one of probity and candour.

The Scottish manager has never sought to do anything alternative than discuss it it as it is, that has been majority refreshing. He has recognized that his players have finished bad decisions but he pronounced when he took the pursuit that he longed for to revive the passion and to have the republic unapproachable of the rugby team.

It has been a rough highway with longed for opportunities along the way, but the compare in Dublin demonstrated that Robinson and his players are superfluous loyal to their word.

Their feat opposite an Irish group that were fortifying Grand Slam champions and who were personification for a Triple Crown at home should be put in the context of usually that.

Clearly, one swallow doesn"t have a summer, but when you mix the feat in Dublin with the win opposite Australia last autumn afterwards maybe Scotland"s "if only"" moments will be consigned to the past for good.