Robinson will not close the door on anyone
Scotland rugby coach Andy Robinson has said that he will not close the door on any player ahead of the training camp that will be held at St. Andrews.
A number of talented Scottish players have not been included in the training squad that will meet ahead of autumn Test matches. However, Robinson has said that this is just a training camp and not a sign that a player is excluded from possibly playing in a match.
International teams often meet at training camps just before a new season so the coach can run the rule over a number of players. The camp also allows the players to bond and get some more pre-season preparation work in.
Robinson must be praised for coming out with such open comments because they leave the door wide open for a number of individuals. It also makes him much more approachable as a coach. He will have to get some sort of idea over the team he wants to start this autumn against New Zealand and South Africa.
More approachable
Robinson has always said in his role at Scotland, and before at England, that his door is never closed to any player in relation to any matter. It's very important for a coach to be open because it encourages the players to trust him.
He's also made a pleasant problem for himself because there will be players who will raise their performance levels at their clubs based on what he has said. This means the standard will be higher and there will be an even bigger pool of players for Robinson to pick from.
The coach said: "There is plenty of scope for a player outside this training squad to push themselves into the team for the November Tests. If a player is showing the sort of form that makes me believe he can do a job for Scotland in the autumn internationals, I will select him."
Formulating ideas
Robinson must start to formulate ideas in his own mind over the team that he wants to play New Zealand. The Kiwis are the best form team in the world at the moment and it will turn out to be embarrassing if Robinson doesn't work out his side very quickly.
The reason this is so important is because it will give the side the best possible chance to settle ahead of playing the All Blacks. They can then work out various ways to play against New Zealand in the hope that they find a successful method.
However, Robinson is still toying over one or two players. He added: "John Welsh definitely comes into that category, if he comes back from injury and shows the form he showed at some points last year, then he will be pushing very hard for call-up. Roddy Grant and Ross Rennie at Edinburgh are in the same boat, as are Allister Hogg, Jason White and Simon Taylor. There are a number of guys who could really push."
Betting advice
Be wary of laying down bets on Scotland to beat the Kiwis in November because this is very unlikely to happen. The only team they are due to play that they have a very good chance of beating is Samoa.
The best option is to back players in the team on a match by match basis because this will give you the best chance of making some money when Scotland play the All Blacks. Whoever kicks for the team is likely to get a few points even though Scotland may lose quite badly.
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