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Without a win over Australia in 27 years, Scotland don’t exactly strike fear in the hearts of the Wallabies. But clearly the name Andy Robinson OBE does.
Robinson won’t even be playing against Australia on Saturday, but Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has no doubt he will be Scotland’s most influential figure at Murrayfield.
Clive Woodward’s assistant when England broke Australian hearts in the 2003 World Cup final in Sydney, Robinson has achieved immediate results since taking charge of the underachieving Scots.
First up, he masterminded Saturday’s 23-10 victory over Fiji and Deans respects him as one of the smartest rugby brains in Europe, a coach highly capable of reviving Scottish fortunes.
While Australian fans would have locked in Scotland as the “gimme” of the Wallabies’ grand slam tour, Deans always considered the fixture a potential banana skin, chiefly because of the Robinson x-factor.
“He’s shaping a side that’s got a future, without a doubt, and just watching that game (against Fiji) I had a sense they were waiting for this week,” Deans said.
“They’ve got presence through the backline as well as up front and they’re an excited bunch. They can see an exciting future and they want to be part of it.
“No reflection on the previous coaching staff but Andy clearing comes experienced and passionate about getting results.
“He’s got a mix of players who have the same aspirations, so it’s a potent mix.”
If they are serious, though, about completing an undefeated tour of the UK and Ireland – as fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper spoke so passionately about upon the Wallabies’ arrival in Edinburgh on Monday – Australia should put Scotland to the sword and beat the world’s 10th-ranked side by 20 points or more.
Even Robinson concedes Scotland will need to improve by 15 per cent on the Fiji performance to compete with the third-ranked Wallabies, who are desperate to bounce back from the disappointment of Saturday’s hollow 20-20 draw with Ireland.
Robinson aside, Australia’s biggest fear is the unknown.
The new coach used a team featuring 10 personnel changes from Scotland’s most recent Six Nations Test six months ago.
“We’ll be pouring over the footage this week,” Deans said. “We’ll do that homework.”
With the stakes still high, despite Australia’s grand slam hopes evaporating in Dublin, Deans bristled when a Scottish reporter suggested the Wallabies may be considering rolling out a mid-week team on Saturday.
“We’re here to play a Test match and they’re special, and playing at Murrayfield is special,” he said.
“We will respect totally what Scotland bring and we will also respect totally what we want to bring.”
After the Scotland challenge, Australia play Cardiff in a midweek fixture next Tuesday before rounding out their British Isles tour with a fourth and final Test against Wales at Millennium Stadium.
“We’ve still got three games to play and we’re undefeated and that’s the way we want it to finish,” Ashley-Cooper said.
“It’s very important to me and it’s very important to everyone else in the squad.
“It was not the result we were looking for on the weekend against Ireland, being a draw and having that empty feeling of no result.
“It’s been very quiet since the game. No-one officially has told me that it’s over. I don’t want to hear it and that’s the way I’m approaching it – the grand slam’s not over.
“It will be a second Wallaby team to go through undefeated and that’ll be us.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.