Williams tackles Scottish development

Queensland Reds 41 Scotland 5

Matt Williams insists his attack on the inability of Scotland's players to defend properly was not an indictment of the country's coaches but on the way rugby's transition into professionalism was mishandled.

Matt Williams insists his attack on the inability of Scotland's players to defend properly was not an indictment of the country's coaches but on the way rugby's transition into professionalism was mishandled.

After the seventh defeat in seven matches since he took over the job of rebuilding Scottish rugby, Williams admitted he was not surprised his development side suffered such a drubbing from Queensland, only the 10th best side in the Super 12.

"Our defence is poor. The skills aren't there from a young age. They have never been coached how to tackle," he said.

Williams, whose coaching assistants are from Ireland and New Zealand, said the likes of Ian McGeechan "held it together" without the resources but stated that would not longer be good enough for Scottish rugby.

"The athletes in Scotland are as good as any in the world but what we haven't been doing is providing the coaches or the athletes with the resources so they can learn and compete on the international level," said Williams. "The debate on who will play professional rugby has raged since 1995 and it is only in the last 12 months we have got on to how we'll play."

It was pointed out to Williams that in the period after the onset of professionalism, Scotland still managed to not only win Test matches but also a Five Nations' championship.

Even with the former rugby league coach Steve Anderson now on board as defensive guru, Scotland's line was shredded on Saturday as Queensland ran in seven tries.

Williams will stick by his four-year development plan to overhaul the game in Scotland, aimed at creating a squad ready to challenge at the World Cup in 2007. That involves blooding young players now, no matter how painful the defeats may be and no matter how impatient the Scottish public get.

Scotland lost full-back Robbie Kydd for the remainder of the tour after it was confirmed he suffered a fractured cheekbone just 20 minutes into his debut against Queensland.

Kydd will fly home just as soon as medics allow, while prop Euan Murray has already left after failing to shake a thigh injury.

Rotherham's tighthead prop Colin Noon has been named as Murray's replacement and will arrive in the Gold Coast today along with Anderson.

Scotland's next assignment is against NSW Country tomorrow before the Test side fly out to Wellington for Friday's clash with Samoa, when their defence will need to be rock solid.

Elton Flatley has been ruled out of next month's two-Test series against Scotland after breaking his arm. The Queensland captain broke the radius bone in his right forearm and left the field early in the second half of Saturday's win.

Queensland: C Latham; W Sailor, D Mitchell, J Pelesasa, S Barton; E Flatley (captain), J Valentine; L Doherty, D Croft, J Roe, N Sharpe, V Humphries, A Mathison, S Hardman, N Stiles. Replacements: T McIsaac, A Scott, A Wallace-Harrison, D Leo, T Atkinson, C Lyons, L Johansson.

Scotland: R Kydd; S Lamont, B Hinshelwood, G Morrison, H Southwell, G Ross, M Blair (captain); D Macfadyen, J Petrie, A Hall, A Kellock, C Hamilton, A Jacobsen, R Russell, C Smith. Replacements: S Scott, J Brannigan, S MacLeod, C Mather, G Beveridge, M Di Rollo, G Morton.

Referee: M Goddard (Australia).