Logan backing Scots

Logan: Backing the Scots

Jonny is still one of the best players England have got, the problem is the players around him are not as good as they used to be.

Kenny Logan
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Kenny Logan believes Scotland can light up their RBS Six Nations campaign on Saturday by beating England in their Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield.

Former Scotland winger Logan has been impressed with Andy Robinson's impact since taking over as coach in June last year, and claims that things are not as bad as they seem despite seeing Scotland propping up the Six Nations table.

The Scots suffered a damaging defeat in Italy in their last outing, while they endured a heartbreaking late defeat in Cardiff after dominating most of the game - but it is the manner of the performances that has Logan in high spirits.

Speaking to skysports.com ahead of Saturday's huge Six Nations clash at Murrayfield, Logan fully expects his country to come out on top

"I think we can beat them, I really do," Logan told skysports.com.

Struggles

"Andy Robinson has come in and done really well, the Italy loss was a big blow for them, but England struggled to beat them in Rome as they've definitely closed the game.

"England are not a good team at the moment. I definitely think we can do them up front, our front five are very good and I think we've got a better back row than them.

"It will be a hugely passionate game, we need to win one game and this is the game we must win. We're playing the auld enemy, Murrayfield will be jumping with the crowd right behind them - that's the beauty of these Calcutta Cup matches.

"I do believe Andy Robinson is the right man, we are a better team this year than last year. We are right in games now until the final minutes and we've closed the gape, what we need to do now is to be winning those games.

"The Wales game might have knocked confidence a bit, we played really well in that and to lose like that right at the end was tough to take."

Logan has not been impressed with Saturday's opponents England and feels they have more problems than Scotland at the moment - although he has leapt to Jonny Wilkinson's defence.

Wilko defence

The England fly-half has been under the microscope during the Six Nations, but Logan says it is the players around him who are to blame for England's struggles.

"Jonny is still one of the best players England have got, the problem is the players around him are not as good as they used to be," said Logan.

"Jonny will always do the right thing, he tackles more than any number ten who would replace him and his goal kicking is as good as anyone in the world.

"He used to play behind some fantastic forwards, but the current England forwards aren't that good, and the armchair ride for him is not what it used to be.

"The backs seem lazy to me too, they're not running the right lines for Jonny to make the passes, and a lot of the time they are standing and waiting for Jonny to do something when they need to go and do it themselves."

Unsurprisingly, Logan's verdict for the game: "A narrow win for Scotland."

The 70-capped Scotsman is also hoping to celebrate success in the literary world, as his autobiography has been shortlisted for two gongs at the 2010 British Sports Book Awards.

"At first I didn't want to write the book as it brought back some bad times," Logan added. "But once I got started again I just could not stop.

"From a selfish point of view it helped me a lot, I got to go over some of those bad times and work through them, and I found it very cathartic to finish the book."

Just For Kicks by Kenny Logan is published in paperback on 18th March