Old Boy Ansbro Plays England

Old boy Joe Ansbro will play Rugby for Scotland in a crucial match against England today.

In what looks set to a classic Auld Enemy clash, Ansbro will go out for Scotland against England on Saturday as the Rugby World Cup pool stages reach their climax. The stakes could not be higher as both teams eye the quarter-final in New Zealand.

Last Autumn, Ansbro became the first the black player to represent Scotland at Rugby, and he’s since enjoyed a meteoric rise. He now finds himself in the starting line-up for this must-win game.

Ansbro, who studied NatSci at Robinson, earned Blues in 2005 and 2006 while at Cambridge, before being signed to professional side Northampton. Having started playing in light blue, he soon found himself putting on the dark blue of Scotland, after strong performances for Northampton caught the eye of international selectors.

Scotland’s Head Coach Andy Robinson now believes Ansbro can play a pivotal role in defeating the English – a feat they last managed in 2008. Besides Ansbro’s inclusion, Robinson has made five changes to the Scottish team that suffered an agonizing 13-12 defeat against Argentina. It was always expected that Scottish hopes would come down to the last game, and Robinson’s inclusion of Ansbro reflects the need for creativity and pace in the midfield.

Ansbro is no stranger to this World Cup, having scored his first World Cup try in Scotland’s opener against Romania. England will present a completely different challenge, but Scottish fans will be hoping that Ansbro can cross the whitewash again on Saturday.

The Scottish need a winning margin of eight to have any hope of progression – something they haven’t managed against England since 1986. Anything less and Scotland will crash out at the pool stages for the first time in Rugby World Cup history.

Despite the tough odds, Ansbro and his fellow team mate will surely need no firing up as they look to stuff the Auld Enemy. Expect a battlefield on Saturday morning.