‘Uncage the gorilla’ – Schoeman knows what Scots must improve

Pierre Schoeman paints pictures, not in the literal sense but with his words, imagery and unique takes on what it’s like being a prop.

This is a world few understand, he says.

Previously, he’s compared looseheads and tightheads to Vikings and gladiators, he’s spoken about how they co-exist on a different level to their fellow players, like “migrating bison”.

Now, in the week running up to the Six Nations, he’s talking in animalistic terms again.

“Unlock the gorilla in the cage, it has to come out,” he says.

What is it about his fellow props he admires so much?

“It’s probably that primal thing,” he says. “We know we’re underrated for our intellectual capabilities.

“We don’t always dress well, but when we do, you know, we grab the attention. And, also, we go to the dark place. We love to go to the dark place.

“There’s not many people on this planet that want to pick up a rugby ball and run into a brick wall – shoulders, heads, knees and do it again and again.

“But that’s how we put bread on our tables. Not always bread, sometimes steak as well, especially if it’s a win.”

He’s asked to take us into that first scrum in Rome and comes up with this: “It’s basically like a car. Put the ignition on, put it into drive, put your safety belt on and brace for a massive collision.”

Fear not, citizens of Edinburgh, he’s a very responsible road user, but you get his drift.

Now we get into the meat of this thing – Scotland’s inability to contend in a Six Nations and the factors that hold them back. Everybody can see them. Every year they’re played out in an excruciating loop, be it spring or autumn or both.

In November, Scotland were poor enough to fall 17-0 behind against New Zealand and yet good enough to make it 17-17 thereafter, before falling away at the end.

A week later they were dominant in going 21-0 ahead against Argentina and then hapless in conceding 33 points in the second half and losing. They were booed that day at Murrayfield.

It’s a recurring theme. The quality of Scotland’s squad is undoubted but the frailties are impossible to miss.

In last season’s Six Nations they fell 17-0 behind against Ireland and couldn’t find a way back. In the loss to England they didn’t score for an hour.

Against Wales they had 35 points and victory in the bag after 49 minutes but shipped 21 unanswered points from there. They hung on to win, just about.

These moments torment Scotland.

There’s brilliance but there’s also painful weakness – soft beginnings to Tests, panic when well on top, overplaying, error counts, poor discipline adding pressure, players going off script, chances butchered, lack of mental resilience.

Schoeman doesn’t shy away from any of that. He says the anger of losing those games in the autumn “turns into fuel”.

For example?

“When the momentum shift goes away, limit those mistakes,” he says. “Our 22-metre conversion rate has to be better. Our mental resilience and momentum in the last 20 minutes has to be better as well.

We’ve been across the terrain before. He knows it and everybody knows it. Glasgow Warriors’ form offers hope again this time around – less so, Schoeman’s Edinburgh – but all these players can do is keep working and keep believing.

“We believe we’re one of the world’s best in terms of entries into the opposition 22, but we also have some of the lowest conversion rates and points per entry,” Schoeman explains.

“We have some of the world’s best backs and have some of the world’s best forwards in scrum, lineout, attack and defence.

“It has to come out now and then. Fight ugly. But our process is a clean and neat set piece and a clean and neat conversion rate in the 22.”

He says Scotland can be ruthless but need to be more ruthless, more often. Physically and mentally. Defence and attack.

“We [can’t] leave it to external things,” Schoeman adds. “No. We dictate, we drive our own performance at training and in games. Call each other out, peer to peer. Correct it immediately. Positive energy but accountability. That’s something we really hammer down on. It’s the way it is.”

Last time Scotland faced Italy in Rome they scored three tries in the first 28 minutes and led by 12. They lost 31-29. Another game tossed away. Another bump on a road that is never smooth.