Rutherford plans the basics for his backs Coach analyses that Fijian nightmare

''You can't legislate for turn-overs bringing seven points at the other end. You also can't legislate for two interception tries.''

As the backs' coach, however, he clearly had to shoulder a great deal of responsibility after head coach Jim Telfer largely exonerated the forwards from blame. But he retains the composure of old and is not going to make rash statements at this early stage of his involvement with the senior national side.

''You have to think things through,'' he said under questioning about the performances of half-backs Gregor Townsend and Bryan Redpath.

''It is frustrating as a coach because you plan to play a certain way and if it doesn't happen there is nothing you can do. You just have to analyse it, speak to the players involved, and help them. That's why we are here.''

He would not be the first great former player to feel, when in a coaching role, that he would love to be on the field putting into practice what he has preached to his disciples and clearly he has more work to do in terms of getting his philosophy across.

''Scottish backs lie flat and don't generate enough pace on the ball,'' said Rutherford. ''The only Scottish team I have seen with pace is the A team.''

That may bode better for the meeting with Victoria on Saturday, which could prove a much tougher match than expected. A number of those who performed impressively for the A team last season, such as David Officer, Glenn Metcalfe and Duncan Hodge, are set to be involved in the first match of the Australian leg of the tour.

However a game widely expected to provide a gentle introduction to Australia, has taken on a new dimension with the news that Victoria are aiming to join next season's Super 12 competition. That emphasises the fact that Scotland cannot make the mistake of under-estimating any southern hemisphere side in the wake of the Fiji defeat when a number of wrong assumptions seem to have been made.

''We did not under-estimate Fiji, we just didn't perform,'' claimed Rutherford.

However, he admitted: ''We scrummed well, but they were better than we maybe thought. Their driving and general organisation was miles better than you would expect from a Fiji team. They have improved their forward game beyond recognition.''

Fijian coach Brad Johnstone made it clear after the game that he felt Scotland had made some wrong assumptions about his side, referring both to the way his forwards performed and the pressure Fiji created when Scotland had the ball. Given Victoria's Super 12 aspirations that latter point was made all the more relevant by Rutherford ahead of what now looks a hugely important game.

With the team for Saturday's match due to be picked today, the management must decide between the need to involve every member of the squad and that of getting a win under their belts. Rutherford believes that the defeat by Fiji will help focus minds.

''We will look at the mistakes we made and wipe them out of our game,'' he said. Rutherford also paid tribute to the Fijians, very much still a developing nation in the XV-a-side game, when he suggested that they ranked alongside the very best in the game in terms of finishing power.

''Apart from France there is no team who can punish you better at the moment,'' he claimed. ''The Fijian pace was frightening.''

Despite the historic nature of Fiji's first win over a Home Union side in such spectacular style, scoring seven tries to two, it is evident, though, that there will be no precipitate action for the remainder of this tour, at least.

''If players have three games on the trot when they are not playing well, then you would have to consider their position,'' said Rutherford. ''This was a game that went badly wrong. We have to put it right in the next two games.''

He also underlined the coaches' need to play their part now. ''It's not a case of telling players they're not good enough,'' he said.

''These are the best players we have in Scotland and we have to use the next four weeks to make everyone better players.''

As Scotland sought to regroup, though, an awkward day of travel yesterday, from Fiji to Melbourne, via Sydney, was not designed to lift spirits. It was a difficult result to digest, and too much time to consider fully the implications was hardly the best of medicine.

Meanwhile, Eric Peters' response to being told that he had been Scotland's man of the match against Fiji was typically modest. ''That is no consolation,'' he said. ''No-one could have had a particularly good game if you lose by that sort of margin.''

Peters comfortably topped the poll as the rugby press following the tour gave their first points towards The Famous Grouse player-of-the-tour award. And in fairness to him, he could have done little more on several occasions than make powerful runs into the heart of the opposition, only to be thwarted by lack of support as possession was turned over.

''It was very frustrating to take the ball on and lose it,'' he did agree. ''You can make all sorts of excuses - the heat, the humidity, the travel, but it was basics we got wrong, and to be honest, a lot of the passing was poor.''

That is the kind of bluntness that will be required from among the other players to ram home the message that what happened on Tuesday wasn't acceptable from men wearing navy blue jerseys.

''We caused our own downfall,'' was Peters' analysis. ''We gifted them four or five tries and they created only one or two of their own. But they did capitalise well on our mistakes.''

Peters is one of the few who are entitled to be considered favourites to retain their Test places ahead of the tours two remaining international matches against Australia on June 13 and 20.

qTHE Australian Rugby Union is facing a major financial shortfall because of the public's lack of interest in the tours by both England and Scotland.

England's under-strength team for their one-off test against the Wallabies coupled with Scotland's loss to Fiji on Tuesday have drastically affected ticket sales.

Only 20,000 seats have been sold for the June 6 Test against England in Brisbane, while sales for the Tests against Scotland have slowed to a trickle. By comparison, tickets for the Tri-Nations series involving New Zealand and South Africa are setting sales records.

More than 70,000 tickets have been sold for Australia's opening match against New Zealand in Melbourne while the Tests against South Africa in Perth and the All Blacks in Sydney are sell-outs.