Who is to blame?

Ok so Robbo has quit. Let's leave whether or not he should have, shouldn't have or should have done so yonks ago to other threads.
Do we conveniently always blame the coach for our team's shortcomings. Granted, they set the tactics but Robbo didn't tell Ross Ford to miss his jumper every time we were in NZ's 22, he didn't tell Kyle Trainer to try to ground the ball from a driving maul while standing upright and with a pile of bodies in front of him etc
Surely the captain should be as much a focal point for frustration as the coach (see Robshaw making a bit of a fool of himself on Saturday) as they have the ability to change things once the players cross the whitewash?

I would think the SRU probably should shoulder most of the blame. Scotland's problems seem endemic to me. the game is moving forward in other parts of Europe faster than in Scotland. I think they have only recently started to address key sustainability issues.

The problem for them is they are now being caught by what were second tier countries (e.g. Argentina, Samoa, Italy, Tonga, Fiji) and have 3rd tier nations eying them up (e.g. Canada, Russia, Georgia, USA).

It's not a big game in Scotland. To grow they have to have both success and structure. They have to find a way of keeping ahead of this chasing pack, competing with the 6 nations sides. At the moment they seem to be seeking quality through imports, I'm not sure this is going to be enough in the long run. The teams around them should all improve as they get their structures right and the game grows.

They have to get their regional teams right.

blackcanelion wrote:I would think the SRU probably should shoulder most of the blame. Scotland's problems seem endemic to me. the game is moving forward in other parts of Europe faster than in Scotland. I think they have only recently started to address key sustainability issues.

The problem for them is they are now being caught by what were second tier countries (e.g. Argentina, Samoa, Italy, Tonga, Fiji) and have 3rd tier nations eying them up (e.g. Canada, Russia, Georgia, USA).

It's not a big game in Scotland. To grow they have to have both success and structure. They have to find a way of keeping ahead of this chasing pack, competing with the 6 nations sides. At the moment they seem to be seeking quality through imports, I'm not sure this is going to be enough in the long run. The teams around them should all improve as they get their structures right and the game grows.

They have to get their regional teams right.

I agreed with this 100%.

When players play below their potential then its the coaches fault

When player are not picked - its the coaches fault

We have the best group of players for a generation - Robinson simply could not get the best out of themand indeed he has clearly ruined some players confidence.

Wrong coach with the wrong selections and the wrong tactics.

Players make mistakes because they are not being coached properly no confidence and no coherent gameplan. Robinson picked the tactics then tried to make the players fit the tactics not make the tactics suit the players he has