DAVID KELSO REPORTS IN TODAYS HERALD


Peter Wright, the former Scotland forward, walked out during his BBC commentary of the Scotland-Wales game because he was so disgusted with the tactics of Frank Hadden, the Scotland coach.

Wright, who also toured with the British Lions, was rendered speechless when the coach substituted his "best" player during Sunday's defeat at Murrayfield.

Wright voted with his feet by temporarily quitting his stint as an expert summariser for Radio Scotland. When he saw John Barclay, the flanker, being hauled off by Hadden, Wright declared on air: "That is totally ridiculous. Barclay has been the best man out there. I don't know what to say. I'm absolutely speechless."

Wright then removed his microphone headset and walked away from the stadium's broadcast zone, leaving Gary Parker, his co-commentator, to jump in to his place. He returned to his post a few minutes later after calming down.

A BBC insider said: "Wrighty is a guy who really, really cares about the Scotland team. He tells it how he sees it and he was clearly as frustrated as virtually every Scotland fan."

Wright was yesterday still angry as he looked back on the 26-13 mauling by the grand slam champions. He claimed Hadden and his coaching team are too soft on the players when they fail, and warned that another dose of humiliation is in store this weekend if there is not a major shake-up in selection and attitude.

Wright said: "There's a fear factor in the Welsh team and they're absolutely petrified to go into the dressing room after the game because Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards will go right through them. I don't think we have a bad cop in the Scotland dressing room."

"Next weekend we go to Paris and the selection is going to be crucial against France. Frank Hadden has to get the right players on that pitch."

Wright, now director of Glasgow Hawks, added: "Scotland have to take a long, hard look at their selection and some of the players have to look at themselves too. It's about picking the right guys and playing a game that suits those guys.

"I think back-row Scott Gray came on and did okay, but Kelly Brown and Al Strokosch should be ahead of him in the pecking order. Ben Cairns at centre has quality, but unless you're going to play the ball to him, you don't pick him. He's not there for the defence or a hit-up game.

"I think Phil Godman played well. He got guys into the game, but we tried to use Graeme Morrison too much at No.12." Wright added: "You have to score 25-30 points to win international games, and you don't do that playing the ultra-safe way we did in the first half. It was almost like we were trying to live off the Wales mistakes.

"For the last 20 minutes, we dominated and played the way Scotland like to play. If we do that for 80 minutes we probably give ourselves a better chance of winning. I think sometimes Frank Hadden has got to be a little bit more inventive."

This article was originally posted on 10-Feb-2009, 08:36 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 10-Feb-2009, 08:38.