Key events
Preamble
The saying goes that if you’re not going to be here for a long time then you might as well be here for a good time. The coaches today are at opposite plots of the long time/good time axis.
Matt Sherratt has already told his employers this is a four week contract. The immediate improvement prior to the Ireland match transformed the mood and vim of his side like he’d told them three weeks of digging trenches is over and they are off to Cyprus for ten days, all inclusive. They still lost of course (that’s fifteen on the bounce) but the decent time being had was palpable, and sometimes improvement starts with not despising where you work. It’s fascinating to contemplate what a further fortnight under his direction Wales can deliver on the pitch.
Scotland’s Gregor Townsend has been around far longer, and is anyone having a good time any more? The results suggest not as the return from the talented bunch at his disposal have been consistently middling with a few highs along the way. The product on the field is lovely to watch, but there’s only for so long that can be enough in elite sport.
This match, inconsequential to the Championship outcome as it now is, has importance for both teams. Scotland have to win to be in with even a distant shout of the top two places come Super Saturday, while Wales are seeking to avoid a winless tournament – something of a miracle given what went before.
Of greater consequence is what a loss today would mean for Townsend’s tenure as coach. Being around for a long time and having a crap time is not good for anyone.