honestly united

With him and Russell signing long term deals it looks like the sru are making an effort to get the best young players tied down to playing in Scotland which is good to see

I thought we might to begin with, but you have to factor in France and maybe England will have new coaches and Wales will have about 10 players back from injury. I think if we win 2 or 3 games it will be a good championship, but I wouldn't rule out us winning it, we have as good a chance as anyone

I thought Australia had already capped him vs the US over the summer? It wouldn't suprise me if he was back in Super Rugby by the time the new season starts. The SRU wont want to be paying a big wage for someone who is never going to play for Scotland

The main problem is tieing players down to one country, the current rules state you are only tie to a country if you have played for the senior team, or the next team under that. Some teams use the 'A' team to tie players in, others Under 19's, or the 7's team. Its the same in football where you have players playing for one country at youths then switching when they are older, however rugby is more prevalent as its the Unions that have the money and resources to go out and poach players to come over and play for 3 years to get them qualified. I dont think the SFA would have the ability to go out and sign up 4 or 5 brazilians or argentinians who weren't quite good enough to play for Brazil or Argentina, then tell Celtic or Rangers 'right you have these players for 3 years until they qualify for Scotland and you have to play them' There are quite a few Brazilians playing for a few countries now but thats more down to Club first, country 2nd.

Was only offered a contract until end of October to begin with, and will be pretty much surplus to requirements when they come back

Can't think of a bigger shock ever

Granted but until there is an injury Hardy is pretty much havng to play every minute at openside with no recognised replacement is a big ask for what is (apart from Hooker and Scrum Half) one of the most important positions on the pitch. If he gets injured during the SA or Samoa games we are shafted as there wont be an openside to come on for him. eta dont think Tonks is good enough either, but gives an option to cover fullback and Stand Off, but Jackson would have been a better option

Only suprise for me is Blair Cowan missing from the back row completely - i am assuming he is going to have either McInally or Vernon cover openside as he only has Hardie in there, and the other 4 can cover blind side and nos.8. Also think one of Jackson or Tonks would have been picked to give extra Full Back / stand off cover. I think the squads is ok except I would have gonr for Harley in for Swinson, Cowan for Strokosch and Jackson for Wilson

Glasgow could have won, but neither team were taking the points from penalties and kicking for the corner instead, as they had most of the play in the second half apart from 5 minutes when Canada scored. Looked a very strong team from Canada as well, and considering all the players missing from Glasgow its looking good for the new season

Im assuming there must be injuries to McInally (with Ford drafted into the bench) and either / both of Fife and Seymor with Scott on the bench

I personally dont think it is, but apart from Seymor I can actually see any of that 25 being in Cotter's first choice Scotland side - therefore out of the 40 (ish) man squad this leaves the last 25. My first choice 15 would have be, Dickinson, Brown, Grant J Gray, R Gray, Harley, Strauss, Cowan, Cuister, Russell, Dunbar Bennett Seymour, Maitland, Hogg

Its the worst 25 in the squad of 40 not worst 25 players in Scotland. It does look like he has a starting 15 in mind after the 6 nations, and none of them are in the squad for this game. I totally agree that Laidlaw should not be starting SH, Barclay should be in the back row (or in the squad at the very least), but this is very much looking like a trial match as to who is making the squad along with who hasn't been picked. At Stand off Russell is a certainty, so its down to either Weir or Jackson as back up, and it looks the same all over the squad to me. I would expect a few people to be dropped from the squad after the weekend, and we wont see the full likely best 15 until the very last game probably (and given that Strauss and Nel are likely to feature in that probably not until the SA game in the world cup

I don't think any of those picked will make the starting 15 although I would agree with you on the scrum half situation. You just have to look at the team and no hogg, Russell, greys, maitland, ford etc which was the 6 nations first choice and he is giving everyone else a chance to put the hand up for selection

Very much worst 25 getting a last chance to stake a claim for a world cup squad place

Updated to include this years league and cup up to the 2nd round of the League / Petrofac cups. So all SPFL teams in this century / milenia and all but 6 in the last 5 years, who says there's no variety of opposition in the SPFL!! Motherwell 1999/00 Dundee Utd 2001/02 Celtic 2001/02 St.Johnstone 2006/07 Aberdeen 2008/09 Berwick Rangers 2008/09 Lochee United 2008/09 Devronvale 2009/10 Dumbarton 2010/11 Elgin City 2010/11 Sunnybank 2010/11 Inverness CT 2011/12 Hamilton 2011/12 Dundee 2011/12 Raith Roversb 2011/12 Hearts 2011/12 Hibernian 2011/12 Livingston 2011/12 Montrose 2011/12 Annan Athletic 2011/12 St.Mirren 2012/13 QoS 2012/13 Clachnacludin 2012/13 Partick Thistle 2013/14 Falkirk 2013/14 Arbroath 2013/14 Queens Park 2013/14 East Fife 2013/14 Alloa Athletic 2014/15 Kilmarnock 2014/15 Stirling Albion 2014/15 Morton 2014/15 Clyde 2014/15 East Stirlingshire 2014/15 Stranraer 2015/16 Brechin City 2015/16 Dunfermline 2015/16 Airdrie 2015/16 Stenhousemuir 2015/16 Forfar Athletic 2015/16 Peterhead 2015/16 Cowdenbeath 2015/16 Rangers 2015/16 Albion Rovers 2015/16 Ross County 2015/16

Got mine about 2 or 3 weeks ago - didn't get any scottish games though

Its about 10 years to late getting Samoa Joe in WWE, they should have brought him in when they brought CM Punk in, their fued in ROH was something else. They could have brought them in, gave them about 6 months to a year of other opponents so the crowds had a bit to get to know them, then let them at it, would have torn the house down

What needs to happen today is for all the other GC contenders to attack one at a time on the 2 big climbs, and as long as they are with Froome at the top of the 2nd they have a chance to take time off of him on the long descent from Tourmalet

Please dont ruin my optimising!! Im hoping for some sort challenge at least

Contador, Nibali etc have to start attacking in the next few days or its going to be over before we hit the alps. To be fair Froome has been really lucky the first week as he was the only one out of the favourites not to have been on the tarmc (or cobbles) at some point, to give him yellow going into today, but he has just blown everyone away.

Chelsea's looks much more interesting than Totenhams, will be interesting to see when its finished as its not the standard 4 stands

Yeah they just brought that in this year, although they have just called up the Leinster Lock Douglas Kane (i think) who only has 12 caps

Australia seem a bit more lax on internationals playing abroad, having asked the Lenister lock to join up for the Championship and World Cup so they might be happy for him to see out his contract in Glasgow, although if he has a stormer in the WC there may be more of a clamour to keep him. Would still leave us with only 2 wingers until the world cup finished (Rory Hughes and Lee Jones with Lamont and Seymour in the Scotland Squad most likely)

to be fair they have said he has signed a contract and expect him to honour it, there's not much else to add until a) he doesn't turn up when expected, or b) actually signs / tries to sign for someone else

On first look I was well pee'd of getting Northampton & Racing which will be tough away and home (Scarlets should be 2 wins), then looked at the other groups and apart from group 2, this is the easiest group. I would see us topping group 2 with the Ospreys, Exeter and Bordeaux, but any of the other groups I couldn't see us finishing 2nd with enough points to get into the quarters never mind win. With Ulster / Tolouse, Munster / Leicester, Toloun / Lenster / Wasps you wouldn't expect to win away from home so would but tough to get through. Would have liked to have got Wasp's from a selfish point of view so that I could get to a game for a change, although hopefully Northampton have finished there new stand so there might be a chance of a ticket for that. Might just have to make do with getting to see Toloun instead