GAVIN Hastings is emotionally and physically drained after Scotland's
historic victory against France last weekend, and he will not play for
his club today in their crucial championship game with West of Scotland
at Myreside.
Watsonians still are in with a chance of challenging Stirling County
for the Division 1 title but the decision to rest Hastings, in advance
of next weekend's Murrayfield game against Wales, was taken after
consultation with club coaches Peter Gallagher and Andrew Ker.
This will be the second league game in succession that Hastings has
missed. He sat out Watsonians' victory over Heriot's a fortnight ago on
medical advice after having received physiotherapy on his back.
The Scotland captain played one of the games of his life at Parc des
Princes last weekend, when he kicked a match-turning penalty goal and
then scored a virtuoso try before kicking the last-minute conversion
which gave Scotland their first victory on French soil since 1969.
A win over Wales on Saturday is by no means a foregone conclusion, but
victory would set up a Grand Slam showdown with England at Twickenham on
March 18.
Yesterday, Gallagher said that the decision to leave Hastings out of
the side had been taken on Thursday night after consultation with the
Scottish captain.
''Saturday in Paris was a big occasion,'' said the coach, ''and Gavin,
along with the rest of the Scottish side, played at real fever pitch.
Emotionally and physically they must all be drained, but because Gavin
was the captain and because of the personal part he played in Scotland's
win, the pressure on him was greater.
''To ask him to raise his game again for us against West, and
especially with bigger things waiting in the wings next weekend at
Murrayfield, is asking too much.
''The game against West is a big one for us. We still consider that we
are in with a chance of the title and, after much reflection, we felt it
would be fairer to Gavin if priority was given to next weekend's game
against Wales.''
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