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What's so complicated about coaching a national team?

John Beattie | 12:03 UK time, Sunday, 25 November 2012

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So, Andy Robinson has quit. I was one of the people who called for him to be appointed and it makes me sad.

My reaction is that the fundamental role of national coach needs to be re-examined in Scotland.

And, at the outset of this piece, I have to say in Andy Robinson's defence that some of that rubbish on Saturday wasn't his fault, it was players buying dummies, players going high into contact, players seemingly unable to break a defence and players missing kicks.

What's more, they will have learned to do this under other coaches, probably since they were five years old.

He was let down by his players on Scottish soil.

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To boo or not to boo? That is the Murrayfield question

John Beattie | 13:46 UK time, Friday, 16 November 2012

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It was weird last weekend. I've argued before that perhaps, just perhaps, the Scottish crowd should join the likes of the Kiwis, the South Africans, the South Americans and the French and boo at the kickers.

Oh it would all be part of helping our boys in blue to win a game or two.

Dan Carter stepped up to take a kick at goal at Murrayfield and sections of our Scottish crowd started booing. And there I was thinking: "I've advocated this in the past!".

Carter is one of the best players ever to have played rugby. He's a hard working ambassador for our game and I actually felt a little sick.

I actually felt a little ashamed at Scots doing that to someone who is an opponent and an ambassador for rugby.

It was wrong. There is no place for the denigration of opponents at any rugby stadium, especially Murrayfield. Do you agree?

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Can Scotland outmuscle the All Blacks?

John Beattie | 11:24 UK time, Friday, 9 November 2012

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How do Scotland beat the All Blacks? Do you think we can?

Kamate, Kamate, Ka Ora Ka Ora. Yup, former Scotland scrum half Roy Laidlaw and I sat up very late in Northern New Zealand with a travelling troupe of Maori dancers and learned the Haka in 1983.

Oh, I can be cynical at times, but the All Black Haka is one of the great wonders of the world, as are the All Blacks.

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