Robinson: Scots need to be ruthless

Scotland need to learn how to hold onto a lead when they get ahead if they want to once again be a major force in the World Cup, coach Andy Robinson said on Saturday after his side had lost to England.

The English-born handler was clearly upset to have watched his team surrender a second-half lead for a second straight time as their World Cup hopes all but ended at the hands of Martin Johnson's England.

Last Sunday the Scots led Argentina 12-6 with seven minutes left on the clock only for Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino to grab a breakaway try that gave the Pumas a 13-12 win.

On Saturday, the battling Scots went 12-3 up 16 minutes into the second half against England and were in sight of qualifying for the quarterfinals, only for their opponents to hit back with 13 unanswered points for a 16-12 win.

Robinson was full of praise for the English and they way they had stuck to the task.

"These guys came through a couple of tough games, kept their heads and won," he said.

"They were under huge pressure today created by a Scotland team that played well and they found a way to win a game of rugby.

"That's what it is about and that's what we have got to learn to do.

"It's about the cut and thrust, the inches and missing a restart at 12-3 and suddenly it becomes 12-6. You can't relieve pressure in that way so quickly.

"That's a side we need to understand -- how to keep the scoreboard accumulating. We had to win that restart and we didn't and that's when they got on the front foot. It's small margins."

Scotland skipper Alastair Kellock, who was recalled to the second row after being dropped for the game against Argentina, agreed that Scotland had had their chances but had not been able to take them while England had.

"I thought England were very clinical when they got their chance," he said.

"We went out and played all our rugby and created a few opportunities and didn't take them.

"And then England created a couple of opportunities and scored the try that ultimately won the game."

The defeat means that Scotland are likely to miss qualification for the World Cup finals for the first time.

Only the near-miracle of a Georgia win over Argentina by more than seven points in the final game of the pool on Sunday could keep the Scots hopes alive.

"We'll hope Richie Dixon [Georgia's Scottish coach] will be speaking Scots to Georgia and try to bring something out of them," Robinson said without conviction.

AFP