IT’S NO EXAGGERATION to say that if Scotland were to pull off a famous win against Ireland in Paris tomorrow, it would rank as one of their greatest results.
Normally, the players involved shy away from such thinking but Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie was happy to talk up the size of the task ahead when he faced the media on the outskirts of Paris yesterday.
“I’d probably say it’s the biggest game of my career,” Ritchie said. “But that’s exciting. This is why we play the game, this is why we want to come to World Cups, for games like this where you have the opportunity to do something special.”
That something special would involve winning by eight points or more, and sending the world’s top-ranked side home after the group stages.
When this lopsided World Cup draw was made Ireland and South Africa were quickly installed as the favourites to advance from a three-way tussle with Scotland in a challenging pool. Heading into the final weekend of pool games, it’s still all to play for.
We’re super determined. We were written off by a lot of people going into this pool. It was always going to be tough for us to get out of it, but we very much have the belief and it’s still there ready for Saturday.
“We believe we can go there, do enough to get out of the pool and keep our World Cup alive.”
Ritchie admitted that as captain, he will likely draw on the conversation around his team’s chances as motivation ahead of kick-off on Saturday.
“I might use it before the game. We’ll wait and see. Our motivation is very much internal. Our belief and where we gain our motivation is what we think of ourselves and how we gee each other up.
“The external noise can be fickle so taking motivation from there can be difficult. For us, it’s about our environment and our group.”
Ritchie had been a doubt for the game after suffering a head injury in a collision with Tonga winger Afusipa Taumoepeau two weeks ago. After a mandatory 12-day rest, he’s been passed fit to lead his team at the Stade de France. His presence will be key to Scotland’s chances of ending Ireland’s World Cup ambitions.
“If we lose the game, we’re going home. We’ve been written off against the top two teams in the world but, for us, we’re not going to die wondering, we’ve got to fire every bullet in our gun and we’ve got to go out there and play our best game and it is in our hands from now.
“So, the pressure is off in that sense in that we know where we stand and we’re not relying on anyone else other than ourselves.
“As long as we put out our best performance out there, then if that’s not enough, there is nothing else we could have done.
“For me, that’s quite a freeing thought – that if we go out there and play to the best of our ability and if that’s not enough then it’s not enough. But I fully believe in this group of men in our group and I know that if we put in out best performance then we are in with a shot.”