Hadden spells out Robinson situation

Frank Hadden has laughed off the suggestion Edinburgh coach Andy Robinson was really the brains behind Scotland's 15-9 Calcutta Cup victory over England.

Frank Hadden has laughed off the suggestion Edinburgh coach Andy Robinson was really the brains behind Scotland's 15-9 Calcutta Cup victory over England at the weekend.

The Scotland coach dismissed an article in one leading Scottish newspaper that claimed the Englishman was 'a bigger part of the latest Calcutta Cup victory and English downfall than anyone let on last week'.

“Did you not know he was Scotland coach? Apparently he's coaching Glasgow as well,” he joked, before insisting there was nothing unusual about Robinson and his Glasgow counterpart Sean Lineen both being asked to help the Scots prepare for the match.

“Obviously, we have a number of people who we ask to assist us with our preparation; in fact we have a huge string of people we ask to assist.

“I actually wanted all the professional coaches in last week but, of course, someone had to stay and coach Edinburgh and Glasgow, so Andy and Sean came in and they are in with us again this week, and that's fairly normal practice.

“They didn't have a specific remit, they weren't focusing on one particular area, but they were available for feedback, as it is when I go and watch them train,” he continued.

“I watch Glasgow and Edinburgh play every week and I phone them during the week to talk about the game – and we looked for that sort of feedback from both Sean and Andy last week.

“I think you would think we were stupid if we didn't ask Andy for some information in the build-up to the England game.”

Hadden also tried to play down the suggestion Robinson had been parachuted into the coaching set-up as a direct consequence of Scotland's poor start to this season's Six Nations.

The Scotland coach pointed out the Englishman had recently worked closely with the senior squad on two previous occasions in his capacity as Scotland A coach.

“The week before the France game we trained with Scotland A so Andy, Sean and Shade Munro were around that week, and then we trained together during the Ireland week as well,” he added.

“So last week was the first time they were involved purely in an observational and feedback capacity.”

Having got that off his chest, Hadden then insisted he was totally unconcerned about the rumour and innuendo surrounding Robinson's role in the Scottish camp.

“Honestly, that stuff goes right over my head,” he added.

“I expect that sort of thing to happen, and really it doesn't bother me at all.”

Then turning the focus back to rugby, the Scotland coach insisted the warm afterglow of success had already passed him by.

With Scotland's final Six Nations match against Italy in Rome only five days away, he knows the team have no time to rest on their laurels.

“Last time we beat England I had a fortnight to enjoy it but this time I had 22 hours because that was how long it was before Italy played against France, and our entire focus is now on our game next week,” he said.

“We've got to a situation where I think we deserve the right to be confident whenever we play at home, which makes the biggest disappointment so far the French result (Scotland lost 27-6).

“The real challenge for us is to win some of these incredibly difficult Six Nations away matches, and here we've got a great opportunity to try and do that this weekend.”

Hadden will have to make at least two changes to the team that beat England for Scotland's trip to Rome. Injured winger Rory Lamont and hooker Ross Ford have both been ruled out of action for the weekend.

Lamont underwent a series of tests this morning at St John's hospital in Livingston with facial and ophthalmologic specialists, and will undergo surgery later in the week for a fractured eye socket, while Ford had a scan on his injured ankle.

Simon Danielli and Scott Lawson have been added to the squad in their place.

The only person who did not take a full part in training on Monday was winger Nikki Walker, who also has an ankle injury, but the Scottish medical team expect him to return to training on Tuesday morning.