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Steven Fletcher has shown a lack of respect for both manager Craig Levein and the country as a whole by snubbing a call-up to the Scotland squad, according to Hamish Husband, the spokesman for the Association of Tartan Army clubs.

The Wolves striker's international career appears to be over - at least while Levein is in charge - after he declined to be involved in next week's Carling Nations Cup opener against Northern Ireland in Dublin.

Levein was set to recall Fletcher after dropping him from the squad for the friendly against Faroe Islands in November and not playing him in October's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Czech Republic and Spain, despite the 23-year-old's critical comments about the controversial 4-6-0 formation used in the 1-0 defeat in Prague.

When informed that he was under consideration for selection, the player sent a text message to Frank Reilly, a Scottish Football Association official, stating that he did not want to be selected and that Levein could phone him if he wanted.

Husband said: "It shows a lack of respect for the manager, the fans and especially the country.

"Levein is his own man and he will pick his own players. I would hope Fletcher doesn't play again for the country. He doesn't seem to have the heart.

"To be honest, he is a player most of the fans had forgotten about. So it's disappointing, after Craig Levein had indicated he could be part of a new strike force for Scotland, that he has shown no passion to play for his country.

"He has also shown a lack of ambition because he only seems to be interested in a future where he is fighting relegation with his club instead of looking ahead to European Championships qualifiers."

Labels: Association, Fletcher, Press, Scotland, slammed

But, while wishing no player any harm, former Scotland captain Gary Armstrong beli

"Did the team that gave such an inept performance against Wales last time really want to play for the jersey? Or were they more interested in picking up a pay-packet because there were times when it looked that way," said Armstrong, who retired from internationals following the 1999 World Cup.

Adds the former colleague of coach Robinson on the 1989 Lions tour of Australia: "This Six Nations title has gone now for Scotland so why not look ahead to the World Cup later this year and start the planning?

"I've been impressed by what Robinson has done for Scotland so far but he has to make a stance and not just try to punch holes in the glass box he sits in at the back of the stand. He looked rattled by the way the team fell apart against Wales and I hope the team have been shaken by the outcry over the past week and a half because the performance was terrible."

That was a reference to how television cameras caught Robinson venting his displeasure during the 6-24 defeat as he pounded on the glass panes of a box he shares with fellow coaches and team analysts.

In particular, Armstrong has called for a new set of half-backs, saying: "Greig Laidlaw did nothing wrong when introduced as a substitute for the second half against New Zealand but hasn't had an opportunity since to show what he can do. At Edinburgh he has been making Mike Blair work for a scrum-half place and even starting ahead of him.

"I think the time has come for Greig to take over with Scotland," he said of a position he occupied with distinction.

If Laidlaw does come in, it will mean leapfrogging both Blair and Rory Lawson, who has started on both occasions so far. Added Armstrong: "As for stand off I couldn't understand picking Dan Parks against Wales when he plays his club rugby there with Cardiff and all the Welsh boys knew exactly what he could and couldn't do.

"Now is the time to start Ruaridh Jackson and find out if he can handle the occasion.

Labels: Armstrong, changes, demands, Nations, Scotland, Scotsman

But they trailed 16-0 after just 20 minutes at Murrayfield and managed just three points when Wales were reduced to 13 men and will be looking for their points of the competition when they entertain Ireland after the rest week. 

“I fully expect to see a rejuvenated Scotland take the game to Ireland in a fortnight,” said Hastings, who won all four of his matches against Wales at Murrayfield.

“It would be difficult to take any positives from the game.

“There were incredible errors that you wouldn't accept in a schoolboys' game.

“But it's too early to lose faith with this team.

“After Paris there was an awful lot of expectancy from the Scottish public.

“[Scotland head coach] Andy Robinson was incredibly disappointed with the performance of the team and I think they will work incredibly hard before Ireland come.”

Full back Sean Lamont came out criticising the effort of his teammates after the demoralising defeat.

And Hastings believes Lamont’s outburst was a clear indication of underlying problems.

“With a player expressing those views publically then you've got to think something has been wrong in the Scottish camp,” said the former British and Irish Lions captain.

“He's not having a go, he's suggesting that the players own up to their own mistakes.

“If a clear-the-air session can address those issues then I'm all for it.” 

Labels: faith, Hastings, keeps, Nations, Scotland

Labels: Celtic, Scotland, stretches

Andy Robinson's final words to his players before the kick-off were to go out and really play, but the Scotland coach saw them press rewind instead and could only watch in table-thumping frustration as his team showed a chronic inability to take the game to opponents who had gone more than 10 months without a victory.

Robinson wanted Scotland to show that they were able to manage expectation but they did not even manage to score a try despite enjoying the majority of possession and making almost twice as many passes as Wales. Even when they had a two-man advantage for seven minutes in the first-half when Bradley Davies and Lee Byrne were in the sin-bin, the home side lacked the poise and wit to fashion an opening. The year before, Wales had won the game with two tries when Scotland had players in the sin-bin.

The Scotland captain, Alastair Kellock, afterwards lamented that it took disappointment for Scotland to put in a performance, the refuge of the underdog. Three tries in Paris on the opening weekend, together with victory over South Africa in November and a 2-0 series win in Argentina the previous summer had given Robinson hope that the days of one-off performances were over, but Saturday showed that progress is still followed by a backward step.

Scotland offered little behind beyond the thrusts of Sean Lamont and the Scarlet only found himself on the field after Hugo Southwell injured himself after taking out Byrne in the air at the end of the opening quarter. Dan Parks, so influential last season, was one-dimensional, the midfield dithered and fumbled and, without the ill Richie Gray, the forwards lacked thrust, bullied at the breakdown.

"We were poor and that is being polite," said Lamont. "I would use stronger words than that. We need to sit down and have some serious alone time, pointing fingers. It is time to shut doors, perhaps not even have the coaches there. We have to question how much we want this and I think a few boys need to be worried and start looking over their shoulders. It was criminal that we did not convert when they were down to 13 men and we should not have lost like we did. We were not good enough."

Lamont's angst was compounded by the fact that they lost to a Wales team that is far from vintage. The return of James Hook to fly-half made an immediate difference: he was six times involved in the move that led to the opening try on seven minutes, carrying the ball in both hands, vexing defenders and waiting for an opportunity that came when he detected the Scotland prop Allan Jacobsen in front of him.

Hook stepped into space and away from the front-rower to give Shane Williams, the tormentor of the Scots, his 52nd try for Wales. Hook was blessed with what Scotland lacked, cunning and patience, but the men in red still lacked conviction in attack. Their victory was based on defence and they were content, after Williams's early try was supplemented by three Hook penalties, to let Scotland take the game to them, knowing there would be mistakes to feed off.

Wales had gone 20 internationals since they had last kept their tryline intact but here their determination in defence, where the forwards Craig Mitchell, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate and Sam Warburton all made a double-figure number of tackles, was outstanding. They were the team reacting to disappointment, not just the defeat to England the previous week, but a gradual decline since winning the grand slam in 2008.

The players had treated their coach, Warren Gatland, to frequent playings of David Bowie and Queen's Under Pressure in the team coach last week, a reference to the media scrutiny the New Zealander had come under. Disappointing results have not sapped morale but, like Scotland, their ambition is dimmed by a discomfort of expectation.

Wales's next stop is Rome and they will start as favourites against an Italian team reeling from its Twickenham torment. The Azzurri have more cause to fear themselves than Wales who have come to rely on graft rather than craft, even with Hook.

The second half was miasmic, basic mistakes wrecking fluency. The more Scotland attacked, the less likely they looked like scoring. Wales waited for their moment and secured victory when Nikki Walker's sloppy pass to Jacobsen was claimed byWarburton for Jonathan Davies to kick into the space Walker had vacated for Williams to claim his second try.

"We have gone back a couple of steps," said Robinson, who is still waiting for his first Six Nations victory in the Scottish capital.

Gatland said Wales would improve. He will not be playing Bowie's Heroes to his players just yet, nor Hunky Dory, but his relief was palpable.

Scotland: Southwell (Stade Français; S Lamont, Scarlets, 20); Walker (Ospreys), Ansbro (Northampton), De Luca (Edinburgh), Evans (Glasgow); Parks (Cardiff Blues), R Lawson (Gloucester; Blair, Edinburgh, 47); Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Ford (Edinburgh; S Lawson, Gloucester, 70), Murray (Newcastle; Low, Edinburgh, 47), Hines (Leinster), Kellock (Glasgow, capt; MacLeod, Scarlets, 75), Brown (Saracens), Barclay (Glasgow; Rennie, Edinburgh, 70), Vernon (Glasgow).

Pens Parks 2.

Wales: Byrne (Ospreys; Priestland, Scarlets, 80); Stoddart (Scarlets), Roberts (Blues), J Davies (Scarlets), Williams (Ospreys); Hook (Ospreys; S Jones, Scarlets, 70), Phillips (Ospreys; Knoyle, Scarlets, 80); James (Ospreys; Yapp, Blues, 70), Rees (Scarlets, capt; Hibbard, Ospreys, 80), Mitchell (Ospreys), B Davies (Blues), AW Jones (Ospreys; Turnbull, Scarlets, 75), Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons; Thomas, Ospreys, 55), Warburton (Blues), R Jones (Ospreys).

Tries Williams 2 Con Hook Pens Hook 4.

Sin-bin B Davies 24, Byrne 28.

Referee: G Clancy (Ireland) Attendance 60,259.

Labels: backwards, defeat, Guardian, Nations, Scotland, Wales

While Naismith was offered sympathy, however, for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ striker Steven Fletcher, who made it clear that he did not wish to be part of manager Craig Levein’s plans, there was only bafflement from Houston.

Naismith, who had previously been cautioned, was dismissed 14 minutes from time at Ibrox after going to ground in theatrical fashion.

Television replays proved that Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew made no contact with his opponent, leaving the Dundee United manager to mount an unconvincing defence of the 24-year-old’s actions.

“Craig and I were sitting in the director’s box and at the time I thought it was a foul,” he said. “The debate we were having was whether it happened inside or outside the box so it’s a magnificent call from the referee.

“Obviously, you see players in certain teams going down but I don’t think for one second that Naisy [Naismith] is a cheat: he’s a player I respect and admire and I’d love to have him in my team.

“I think that he was going so quickly that he was on the way in a forward momentum that took him down. I don’t think that he deliberately dived.

“He’s not been accused of that in the past so I don’t think that it’s even worth mentioning that he’s a cheat or that he tried to con the referee.

“His momentum took him down due to the pace he was going at. He could have slipped – it was a slippery pitch on Sunday – so I don’t believe he has to worry because he’s not anywhere near being the type of person who will con referees.

“For me he’s one of our most honest and hard-working players and I’ve noticed that even more since working with him for Scotland. I think it would be really unfair if he was tarred as a cheat.”

As for Fletcher, one was left with the impression that his decision to sit our Levein’s reign (as Kris Boyd and Lee McCulloch did with George Burley) will not provoke wailing and gnashing of teeth from the Scotland management team.

“I don’t know why Steven’s chosen to do what he’s done,” he said. “We have a squad of young players who want to be here and I think that’s the biggest thing. “We are becoming more like a club side and people are wanting to be here more often than not although Steven Fletcher is a different kettle of fish.

“He has chosen his pathway and I don’t know if he will change his mind. He has decided to concentrate on his club, but all I’m interested in is guys who want to be here.

“We have to look forward as there are many more who want to be in the squad.

“For anyone to knock back playing for their country, I justc an’t understand that. It’s a big thrill for me, as a club manager, to come here.

“I love the experience I’m gaining as a coach with the national team. I see how other teams play – ones I’d normally only watch on television – and now I’m party to trying to beak them down and win matches against them. I’m also a Scotland supporter and I’ve seen call-offs in the past and people who don’t want to play but I’m just looking to the future.

“This squad could be really good for the national team in the future. The biggest thing is getting back to the time when Craig Brown got us to the finals of European Championships and World Cups. I think we have asquad now which, given time, can do that.”

Labels: aposdiveapos, battle, defends, Houston, Naismithaposs, Peter, Scotland, Steven, Telegraphcouk

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Manager Craig Levein has turned to Conway after Darren Fletcher, Lee McCulloch and Graham Dorrans were forced to withdraw due to injury over the weekend

Wigan defender Gary Caldwell also remains a doubt with a cheekbone injury and will be assessed by the medical team prior to kick-off.

Scotland assistant boss Peter Houston, who is also Conway's club manager at Dundee United, feels the 25-year-old will acquit himself well at international level.

"I had nothing to do with it!" Houston joked when asked about Conway's call-up.

"Craig's form last season was great and he almost got a move down south before he got injured.

"He's got pace and power and is a good crosser of the ball.

"It was without my influence at all. He's deserved it and he's fit and ready for it."

The absence of regular captain Fletcher means that Levein will have to decide on who will wear the armband, but Houston is pleased with the turnout.

"It's the height of the season but look at the small number of call-offs," said Houston.

"Darren Fletcher never misses games so we know he must be injured.

"We've only got one or two this time, whereas in the past we've had seven or eight."

Labels: Conway, earns, Scotland, SkySports

Scotland arrive in Paris for the RBS Six Nations clash with few tipping them to feature in the title race - despite six wins in their past seven Tests.

And with France among the favourites to lift the Six Nations title - having won the Grand Slam in 2010 - Parra believes his side cannot afford to take anything for granted.

"Scotland are both an ideal adversary and also one that could lure us into a trap," said the Clermont scrum-half.

"It is a team which likes to play which is something that one rarely gets in the Six Nations, a team which has nothing to lose against France.

"The worry is that in wanting to quickly get the crowd on our side by playing free-flowing rugby and trying all sorts of things we will be hit on the counter-attack."

Parra will partner the recalled Francois Trinh-Duc at half-back for the clash at the Stade de France.

That means Damien Traille moves to full-back, with Maxime Mermoz partnering Aurelien Rougerie in the centres and Maxime Medard named on the wing.

In the pack, Imanol Harinordoquy and Julien Bonnaire will join captain Thierry Dusautoir in the back row, while Lionel Nallet returns from injury to start in the second row.

Scotland fly-half Dan Parks is determined to spoil the French party on Saturday.

Although France won the Grand Slam last year, they have lost three of their five Tests since then.

And Parks believes Scotland can continue their fine form with a first win in Paris since 1999.

"It's an exciting time," said Parks.

"It's the start of a fresh championship and we're on the back of some good performances in the last couple of outings.

"It's a very tough place to go, but it's a great place to go.

"It's a really great stadium to play in. The French people are going to get right behind their team.

"We're going to hopefully spoil that party - that's our plan, to go there and impose ourselves on the match.

"If you can get on top of a team early in a game that gives you great confidence and diminishes their's."

Coach Andy Robinson has made five changes, three of which are personnel, for the trip to Paris.

Nick De Luca, Max Evans and new captain Alastair Kellock come into the starting XV, while Nathan Hines moves to blindside and Kelly Brown starts at No.8.

France: 15 Damien Traille, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Aurelien Rougerie, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Maxime Medard, 10 Francois Thrinh-Duc, 9 Morgan Parra, 8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Julien Bonnaire, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5 Lionel Nallet, 4 Julien Pierre, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Thomas Domingo.
Replacements: 16 Guilhem Guirado, 17 Luc Ducalcon, 18 Jerome Thion, 19 Sebastien Chabal, 20 Dimitri Yachvili, 21 Clement Poitrenaud, 22 Vincent Clerc.

Scotland: 15 Hugo Southwell , 14 Nikki Walker, 13 Joe Ansbro, 12 Nick De Luca, 11 Max Evans, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Rory Lawson, 8 Kelly Brown, 7 John Barclay, 6 Nathan Hines, 5 Alastair Kellock (c), 4 Richie Gray, 3 Euan Murray,2 Ross Ford, 1 Allan Jacobsen.
Replacements: 16 Dougie Hall, 17 Moray Low, 18 Richie Vernon, 19 Ross Rennie, 20 Mike Blair, 21 Ruaridh Jackson, 22 Sean Lamont.

Labels: France, Scotland, SkySports, Teams