John Beattie's rugby column

By John Beattie BBC Scotland rugby pundit and former British Lion

I wonder if it's time rugby union bit the bullet and admitted that with the evolution of mankind, and the static nature of a rugby pitch over the past 100 years, there are too many players on the pitch.

And if there are, which one or two players should we remove?

This November series of games has left a lingering sense of claustrophobia.

The ESPN forward planner said "England v Scotland 1986." My little heart skipped a beat because I played in that game, I did OK, and we beat them on the day.

So I texted my son that the game was on and 15 minutes later came a singularly unimpressed reply: "Interesting, Dad, but where was the defence in those days?"

And he has a point, because professionalism has produced human beings who can cover massive areas of ground and yet stay strong and make tackles when, if I am honest, my generation of player was smaller, less fit, less skilled, and many of us missed tackles.

Scotland's tackling was superb against Australia in the 9-8 win

You see, I don't agree with some of the pundits who talk about how modern players don't have the skills compared to the olden days.

It's the same idiotic creed trotted out by the older generation of football pundit. Modern Scottish players in any code of football are far better than we were. Much, much better.

But they have no space to work in and every time they get the ball they face a line of bodies all of whom, crucially, can tackle.

Scotland beat Australia without scoring a try, and likewise didn't cross the line against Argentina. Phil Godman had lots of possession in the first half against Argentina and lots of runners eager to carry the ball from his passes.

Godman and each of his team-mates know how to beat defenders, but with a pitch having stayed at 100m x 70m for a century and Southern Hemisphere players being what they are, well, their attacks foundered on strong and organised defences.

And when there is less space, you need power to blast through people because you can't run round them. Rugby union is a war of attrition, which is why the players you see are becoming stronger and stronger.

If we'd had more space, we'd have beaten Argentina John Beattie

Scottish rugby's greatest players have been men who can run into open space and launch attacks, and I name among then Andy Irvine, Finlay Calder, John Jeffrey, Gregor Townsend and the likes of the Lamont brothers.

We produce men who can run, and our gene pool dictates that we will be smaller than the likes of the English and those from the Southern Hemisphere so it would help us to have more space.

But it would help the game too; a game that has been starved of tries this November.

Who would I take off the pitch? Either the wing forwards, or one wing and the full-back.

But well done, Scotland, for getting some pride back into our game by beating Australia.

If we'd had more space, we'd have beaten Argentina too.