When it comes to preparing for a meeting with South Africa, there are few better ways to do so than by playing against Georgia. Just like the world champions, whom Scotland will meet in their first Rugby World Cup pool match a fortnight tomorrow, this afternoon’s opponents at Murrayfield like nothing better than a set-piece slugfest - and after three open, attacking games against Italy and France (twice), that contrast in style should be exactly what Gregor Townsend’s side need in their fourth and final warm-up match.
The key difference between the Springboks and the Georgians, of course, is that the former have world-class backs as well as a formidable pack, so can win a game in a variety of ways. By contrast, if you nullify Georgia’s threat up front, you generally have the upper hand behind the scrum.
So today’s game comes into the tough-but-winnable category, and Sam Skinner, for one, believes it will be exactly the kind of contest that his team needs. “It definitely is a chance for us to show a different side to our game,” the lock forward said. “They are a fantastic test for us before the first game of the World Cup, for obvious reasons.
“They will be brilliant. They have a really strong scrum and their maul stats are up there with the best in the world. We are going to be tested in exactly the areas we need to be tested in, and we need to make sure we front up and not only match them, but try and take it to them ourselves.”
After narrow wins over the Italians and the French at home, Scotland then lost in Saint-Etienne two weeks ago. So, while emphasising the importance of the set-piece contest and the need to perform well, Skinner, 28, also insisted that getting back on the winning trail is vital.
“It’s very important. We want it to become a habit. We’re on the back of a loss at the end of the day, and we want a winning habit and a winning team.
“Performance is the priority. But I think a win, psychologically and in terms of it becoming a habit, goes a long way in a team sport.”
While sections of the Scotland support had hoped that key players such as Finn Russell would be rested today in order to avoid injury, head coach Townsend has selected a starting line-up that is pretty close to full strength. Having missed out on the last World Cup through injury, Skinner is well aware of the jeopardy that comes with that strategy, but insisted there is no room for worrying about that.
“We’ve put out a really strong squad and it’s my chance to put my hand up and give it a good crack. I’ll do everything I can to do so.
“I’ve been touching lots of wood and hoping it will be fine. Obviously it’s a contact sport and there are risks but you can’t afford to think like that. You’ve just got to go flat out, play for your country and hope you come out the other side.
“It’s important we get minutes under the belt and come into that South Africa game as well prepared as we can be. That’s the priority. It’s a brutal sport at times, and that’s the price that people pay sometimes. But it’s the right thing for us all to be playing and to be giving it a good go.
“It was disappointing at the time [when he was injured in 2019], but other players have these tough experiences and it’s just the way of the road. You’re not more special or deserving than anyone else, that’s just life.
“Being a professional rugby player, you have to learn these things and they can keep you pretty humble. It wasn’t easy, but I was able to go back to my club and get stuck into the next chapter of my life.”
What Skinner wants to do now is get stuck into Georgia, and then into South Africa, but he knows that his is one of the places in the starting line-up that is most in doubt, with Glasgow’s Richie Gray waiting in the wings and being widely expected to resume his second-row partnership with Skinner’s Edinburgh team-mate Grant Gilchrist. So what would Skinner himself tell Townsend if the coach were to ask him why he should be in the team rather than someone else?
“I don’t know about comparing myself to anyone else,” he said. “But I will always put my hand up to be in the team for Scotland, because of how proud I am to play for this country and what I believe I can add.
“I’d just be like, ‘Pick me because I bloody love it!’”
Scotland (v Georgia at Murrayfield today 5.30pm): O Smith; K Steyn, H Jones, S Tuipulotu, D van der Merwe; F Russell, B White; J Bhatti, D Cherry, W Nel, S Skinner, G Gilchrist, J Ritchie (captain), R Darge, J Dempsey. Replacements: E Ashman, R Sutherland, J Sebastian, S Cummings, M Fagerson, G Horne, B Healy, C Harris.
Georgia: D Niniashvili; A Tabutsadze, D Tapladze, M Sharikadze (captain), M Modebadze; L Matkava, V Lobzhanidze; M Nariashvili, S Mamukashvili, B Gigashvili, L Chachanidze, K Mikautadze, L Ivanishvili, M Gachechiladze, T Jalaghonia. Replacements: T Zamtaradze, G Gogichashvili, G Papidze, L Jaiani, S Mamamtavrishvili, G Aprasidze, T Abzhandadze, G Kveseladze.
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France).
*Darcy Graham was forced to withdraw from the Scotland team yesterday because of a slight quad strain. His place on the right wing has gone to Kyle Steyn.
