If last autumn’s capitulation at home to Argentina was a recent nadir, then using it as the starting point for a forensic evaluation of the squad’s strengths and weaknesses has proved to be a very worthwhile exercise indeed.
“We’re disappointed [with the defeat] because we believe in the group and how far we’ve come in the last 12 months,” said Ben White, scorer of Scotland’s fourth try that secured the bonus point. “There were long periods in that game where we were on top and showed the quality that we’ve got against the world’s best opposition. We’ve got to keep working, keep believing in our group and how we want to play and the ability we have. And keep doubling down on that.
“Gregor, Sione and others have spoken about what we’ve taken from those games [Argentina last autumn and Italy in the Six Nations]. And it definitely brought the group closer together. We’ve talked about our DNA, how we want to play and the belief that we have in each other. And we’re going to stick to that. We’re going to stick to how we want to play and the ability we have, no matter who we play against. And I think we showed that [on Saturday].”
Scotland’s inaugural Nations Championship campaign now switches to Murrayfield when Fiji are, in theory, the hosts for the third and final game of the summer series. Given the demands of playing back-to-back Tests in Argentina and South Africa, it would be only natural if Townsend rang the changes for this one but White isn’t looking for a day off.
“I love playing for Scotland and you never turn down the chance to play for your country,” said the scrum-half. “It’s an absolute honour and any chance I get to do that, I’m chomping at the bit. You want to get back out there, put smiles on faces and be proud to play for your fans. So I’m really excited. And if I get the opportunity to pull on the shirt again I’ll be raring to go. Listen, we love playing at Murrayfield in front of our home crowd. And we want to make sure that that whole stadium’s rocking and excited to watch Scottish rugby played at the highest level.”
A recent newspaper article described White as the most competitive man in rugby and the Toulon No. 9 doesn’t see it as a negative if so.
“I don’t know who wrote that and I can’t speak for others but I know that I love playing for Scotland. I love playing rugby. I’m very proud and privileged to be in this position. And I’ll do anything to try and help the team win. Ultimately you play a team sport and you give everything to your teammates and the country and you just want to do well. And if that means that I have to run around like a madman and win every drop ball and chase every ruck, then I’ll do that because that’s ultimately what I need to do to win.
“But I’ll take it as a compliment! I don’t see that as a negative. It’s my job to be competitive. It’s my job and that’s what I love doing. I love competing. It’s the biggest privilege you’ve got. You work so hard to get here. You play in front of massive crowds and all the fans back home so, yeah, why wouldn’t you want to be the most competitive person on the pitch you can be?”