Frank Haddon - icing on the cake

At Edinburgh airport awaiting the flight back from another disappointing sporting afternoon. This time it was the turn of Frank Haddon's Scotland team to let me down. OK, so Wales start the 6 Nations as champions and favourites to retain their title, but I was expecting more from Scotland than we got today and I blame Frank Haddon.

Scotland have failed to play to their strengths under Haddon and were one dimensional yet again this afternoon against a Wales side who found it too easy to take a commanding lead and then sit on it. Scotland did rally in the last twenty minutes but it was, once again, too little, too late. Scotland have a pack of forwards who should dominate most games they play. The Scottish line-out is the best in the northern hemisphere, so we should be kicking for distance and pressurising opponents. We are traditionally weaker in the backs and seem unable to stretch and open opponents out wide, just as Wales did to us for their opening try. So what has Frank Haddon focused on? Trying to play running rugby (admirable) but the tactic is always the same - to batter away, tackle after tackle, man after man in largely the same place. We need to complete twenty successive bursts to make thirty yards and we lose possession without gaining much yardage as a result. Basic tactical differences apart, the man can't handle the bigger personalities (sound familiar?) and the decision to start without Chris Paterson (once again) was appalling. God only knows what morale is like behind the scenes. At least everyone gets on in every game Scotland play nowadays, so the damage was minimal today.

I am due up for the Ireland game next month but, Frank, I can't be bothered. Another battle to avoid the Wooden Spoon is upon us and then Frank Haddon should get his comeuppance. What a time to be a Scottish Addick.