The questions Townsend must answer before Calcutta Cup

Having won their opening game in the Six Nations for five seasons in a row, Scotland’s forlorn grind for relevance has started early this time.

After death in the Eternal City comes the resurrection mission in Auld Reekie.

It’s a dismal reflection on the state of things that Scotland are now looking for yet another «reaction» after yet another defeat.

But that is where they are under an increasingly beleaguered Gregor Townsend and a coaching regime that has been there too long and needs breaking up with new voices being heard.

The players, too, must be boring themselves at this point.

Their coach is under the cosh, but they continue to fail on multiple fronts – attitude, accuracy, mental strength, ruthlessness. They are bobbing along and going nowhere.

As an international rugby nation, the Scots are now deep into their third decade of existential crisis, so you’d think the awfulness of Saturday’s defeat by Italy in Rome would be easier to take.

Not really.

The ‘proud of the effort’ mantra from Townsend is the biggest red rag to the biggest Scottish bull.

The scale of the failure was epic, not so much because they lost – because this was always going to be a tight game against a fine Italy team – but in the way they lost.

Their lack of aggression and intent from the start, their defensive disorganisation for Italy’s tries, the terrible weaknesses in their lineout (while Italy were nailing most of theirs), the self-harming bouts of indiscipline at critical times, their inability to problem-solve on the move.

Italy were missing some key players. Scotland were missing no-one.

When it came to coaching nous and player execution, Italy had a little too much of both.

They inflicted a soul-destroying defeat on Scotland, but, in many senses, Scotland did it to themselves. A recurring theme, that.

The feeling of fury in the aftermath is unprecedented since Andy Robinson’s team lost to Tonga in 2013 and Matt Williams’ team lost to, well, pretty much everybody in his slapstick years in charge.

A campaign over after just one game? Maybe premature, but you can’t fault anybody for thinking it.

England will expect an angry Scottish reaction on Saturday. Some of the visitors, hard-bitten by recent experience, will know that there’s fire and brimstone coming their way.

The home fans in vast numbers are now dead against Townsend remaining as coach, but come kick-off time in Edinburgh, you won’t know it. The place will be electrified.

Could you discount a Scotland upset? No. Would you bet on it? No, again.

At Murrayfield, the decision-makers are sitting in silence, apparently still confident that improvement will come if they just hold their nerve.

As a reminder, Townsend took over in 2017. He’s nearly 100 games in. This is his ninth Six Nations. Scotland have never contended.

His future is being talked about, but not by the people who might determine it. Not yet.

That might come later, depending on what happens in the weeks ahead – ‘might’ being the operative word – but for now there is a Calcutta Cup to deal with and a world of questions for Townsend to answer.

What to do with the back three?

Townsend picked on form in Rome, but it was a brutal experience for all involved, particularly Jamie Dobie, one of the best Glasgow Warriors players in a stellar season for his club side.

The weather made it a dogfight in the air. Scotland won some battles, but Italy won the war.

Scotland’s victories in the contestable kicking duels led to field position, which they subsequently butchered.

Some of Italy’s wins led to points, particularly when Louis Lynagh out-did Dobie just before the Tommaso Menoncello try and the Italy forwards were way more alert in mopping up in the aftermath.

Would it have been any different had Townsend gone with his established three of Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe? Unlikely.

It wasn’t a day for Kinghorn’s game – and he hasn’t been playing great in France in any event. Van der Merwe – still fighting to regain form – is vulnerable in the air at the best of times.

These are huge calls for Townsend. Rip it up or keep faith? Van der Merwe has been a wrecking ball to the English, a bogey man they have largely failed to contain.

He has scored seven tries in five games in the Calcutta Cup. The fixture stirs something inside him.

Will Townsend pick on vibes? Will he put the band back together? What, then, about the notion of picking on form? The form guys out wide all season have been Kyle Steyn and Dobie.

You can see Kinghorn reappearing at 15 and Graham taking over from Dobie. Pondering the Duhan Effect will keep the coaches up all night.

Lineout is Scotland’s weakness in microcosm

Twice in the opening 11 minutes in Rome, Scotland had an attacking lineout in the Italy 22.

On any day, these were glorious chances to build pressure and add points. On a day like Saturday, they were golden opportunities. They lost both lineouts.

Their drill both times was hardly complex. The throw went to the front – the safest option – and Italy were up quicker to steal it. It was the kind of sluggishness that proved so costly.

The rain pelted down, but Italy found a way to deliver a functioning lineout. Scotland toiled miserably.

They were beaten at the front, in the middle and then, in a monsoon, they launched some over the back. No lifter, no jumper, no communication. It was a mess.

And everybody was to blame, not just Ewan Ashman and George Turner.

A change at hooker? If Dave Cherry was to be parachuted in from the second tier of French rugby then it wouldn’t be a huge surprise.

Cherry can throw, but if the whole operation is as hapless again then everybody may as well stay at home. You don’t win Tests with a third-rate lineout.

More changes at lock? Given how passive Scotland were in the beginning, they’d better get more energy in from the start on Saturday.

Gregor Brown to start ahead of Grant Gilchrist and alongside Scott Cummings.

Jamie Ritchie’s brutality at seven instead of Rory Darge. Get some attrition in there. Some belligerence. Some leaders.

Maybe there’s an almighty eruption on the cards on Saturday. An ambush. A smash-and-grab. Maybe a formidable-looking England are about to get run over by wrathful Scots.

The fact that Scotland are in this place – backs to the wall and looking for salvation – is a grim and unchanging picture of their painful struggle.